We have something to say

CathoBel news agency (www.cathobel.be) is the Catholic media point of reference in Belgium. It’s the privileged channel to spread the thought and the life of the Bishops’ Conference and the Belgian Church, in close cooperation with SIPI, the press service of the Bishops’ Conference. CathoBel also operates through a multimedia portal, in synergy with the press (the weekly ‘Dimanche’), the radio and the web TV-channel and radio affiliated with the Catholic Church for the French-speaking area in Belgium. Sarah Numico, interviewed for SIR Europe the chief editor Jean-Jacques Durré, thus following the path coordinated by Paolo Bustaffa, through the news agencies that refer to the Bishops’ Conferences of European countries. The news agencies already covered in our reports are: Kathpress-Austria (click here) and KNA-Germany (click here). What is the contribution of your news agency to Belgium’s contemporary life? "Our task is twofold: to inform on the life of the Church and provide a Christian understanding of current events. The news on the life of the Church encompasses the institutional Church (the Vatican, the Bishops’ Conferences, the dioceses…) and the local Church (parishes, religious orders, communities, …) alike, in Belgium and abroad (COMECE, CCEE, …). To provide a Christian understand implies an analysis of current events in the light of the Gospel: what the Church says about the economic crisis, poverty, …". How did the rapidly developing new technologies impact your work? "The new technologies have changed several aspects of our work. Everything proceeds at a very rapid pace, news agency need to remain vigil and verify the sources as much as possible, in order to prevent the dissemination of false news. At the same time it is necessary to avoid the race to sensationalism while giving priority to quality news and editorials. It’s a paramount professional commitment".Is there something more that Church media can do for the new evangelization? "A lot more: the media are a crucial vehicle for the new evangelization, as underlined by the bishops and by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The media convey the news to all those who no longer attend church services, who abandoned faith and/or religious practice. It is possible to share the good news of the Gospel, make people know that as Christians we have something to say about the concrete problems in life. Thanks to the new technologies and social networks, we can also reach out to the youths and listen to them, telling them about the joy of being Christian. In fact, there can be no new evangelization without the media!".Can the news agencies that refer to the national Churches in Europe improve their cooperation? "Indeed, through the establishment of platforms for exchange and implementation of mutual cooperation with the dissemination of information, in a privileged way, they have the possibility of reaching out to large audience through annual meetings, in order to jointly analyse mutual problems and for the exchange of experience". How can the Church contribute to the life and the building of Europe? "The Church should reiterate and make understood her position on themes that involve the daily lives of individuals and the major questions on human existence. The Church is strongly anchored to the world. With her universal approach the Church can bring her contribution to step up dialogue processes, for the preservation of peace, and for the improvement of social justice. She should remind man that he remains at the centre and that he is not a product".