Outside national borders

The Moldovan Catholic Church steps up her commitment in the field of information and communication. The purpose of this impetus, called for by Msgr. Anton Cosa, Bishop of Chisianu, is to spread Catholic commitment in Moldova, embracing ecclesial life and pastoral action, social programs and the life of the Country. The News Agency – said Bishop Cosa – “will bring Moldovan Catholics to Europe and will ensure that the commitment of the local Church is acknowledged”. “It’s another way to exit from a state of isolation and share with the sister Churches pastoral programs and social projects. Also evangelization and charity follow the path of information and communication”. Sir Europe asked Msgr. Cesare Lo Deserto to provide further details on the news agency.How will the news be conveyed: with emails or through a website? To which readership is it addressed? Will it cover the news from Moldova for Europe or will it include European news for Moldova?“From the technical angle the Agency will initially convey selected news via email, and gradually progress with the creation of a website. In the meantime specialized staff will undergo specific training. The news items will focus on the life of the Church in Europe and at the same time will report on the life of the Churches in Europe”.Where does the need of a news agency stem from?“We must emerge from isolation, that includes isolation from news and communication services. Not much is known about Moldova at European level, and news reports often highlight the Country’s poverty rate, human trafficking and other similar issues. Thus the Country is known for stereotyped events, which are in the process of being solved. There is also another process that involves the Catholic Church, even though it represents a minority, which is bringing this small Eastern country towards Europe. The Catholic Church in Moldova, which represents 0.5%, is acknowledged strong and efficient social action, capable of supporting, loving and serving the population. This must be proclaimed from the roof tops, as stated in the Gospel, so that it may become a message of hope for all of Europe”.Which Moldovan news would you like to disseminate across Europe?“We start with ecclesial news items, that hold special importance for other Churches, followed by reports centered on human rights, migration, the relations with the Orthodox world and the social commitment of the Church across the Country. The Country is witnessing ongoing developments, and as John Paul II told the youth, there are ‘morning sentinels’. It is our intention, with great humility, to serve as the sentinels of the dawn of the East that rises day after day”.Do you think that European information is too centered on Western Countries to the detriment of Eastern ones?“Indeed! Not much is known about Eastern Countries, and the same goes for Moldova. In order to speak of this Country we have to wait for tragedies or revolutions to take place. There still are cultural and linguistic barriers that prevent the rapid spread of information. The shadows of the past still condition, thus information is closed inside Eastern borders, newspapers readership is scarce, while satellite TV and the Internet are widespread, and thus Moldovan society is invaded by European information. This could be positive, but in fact it’s also negative”.What is the contribution of Eastern Europe to the West?“Eastern Europe holds a strategic moderating role, not only at geographic level, between Europe and the Far East. Let it suffice to consider that China identified in these Eastern Countries, notably Moldova, the door of access to Europe. Moldova is the border of Europe, it’s five-thousand kilometers’ distant from China, and in the midst there are Countries with the greatest energy resources, such as Russia and Kazachistan. At a moment of serious economic crisis in traditionally solid countries, and given the political crisis in the Arab world and in the South of Europe, despite clear situations that are not always shared, Eastern Europe represents a possibility. Such evolutions must be ‘read’, understood and transformed into communication and evangelization”.How important are the media in the life of a small local Church such as Moldova’s?“Information is evangelization. What we do not know doesn’t exist. The message is clear: the Moldovan Catholic community wants to be part of the greater European Catholic world, in a path of evangelization and human promotion that must be upheld with determination and a strong sense of responsibility. The clergy is ever more on the streets and near the people, the laity is growing and is more present at local level, acting as a point of reference. Notably, this Church has a bishop, Msgr. Anton Cosa, who for the past twenty years has been sowing the seeds that will enable the Catholic community to freely express their faith and enjoy their rights”.