Germany, Latvia

Germany/1: Which future for Catholic media? The future of Christian-inspired means of social communication was the subject of the first Congress of German Catholic media. At the event, held this week in Bonn for two days, 200 representatives of diocesan newspapers, publishers, lay press, television, radio and social networks, discussed the topic: “The mission of the media. The future scenarios of Church communication”. The Bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Msgr. Gebhard Fürst, head of the pastoral care means of social communication of the German Bishops’ Conference, expressed criticism of self-referential diocesan social communication: “Every diocese think about what happens within its borders, but if there is a scandal the entire Church is involved”, the prelate said. “We must uphold brave stances via cross-media communication”. From this perspective Matthias Kopp, spokesperson of the German Bishops Conference, admits that the Church with its dioceses is very exposed and still can’t make full use of the social networks. Peter Stefan Herbst, chief editor of the “Saarbrücken Zeitung”, said that despite growing digitalization “there is a future in printed press” because “those who were intensely informed on the internet, often also read newspapers, that is a finished product, while when reading on the web “there is no conclusion”. For Rolf Pitsch, director of the Bonifatius GmbH di Paderborn, “dioceses have no need to clarify what they intend to communicate, and this is what the media need”. Germany/2: The care of rural religious patrimony “Supporting Europe’s religious patrimony” is the theme of the third international Conference ongoing in Halle (Germany) until November 1st, organized by “The future of Religious Patrimony” (FRH) a European, non-profit network committed in raising awareness on the protection of Church buildings and religious property throughout the Continent. “The great majority of religious patrimony is in rural areas” organizers said. “Often they are hard to access both intellectually and physically, that are under-used but require preservation and restoration works”. Depopulation of rural areas and churches, economic development along with low participation in public life are among the factors that lead to fear the disappearance of these sites. The Conference is attended by experts in this field, to share new solutions with the purpose of enhancing the social and economic bearing of this patrimony, promoting innovative management, and models. A focus will be on specific experiences regarding demographic and geographic situations, along with problems linked to public access to these religious patrimonies, financing and management of the religious sites. Latvia: “Strengthening the family, core of society” With 77% of divorcees (2011 figures) out of celebrated marriages (religious and civil alike) Latvia is the European Country with a sad record, but “only 14% of marriages celebrated in Church end. This is a great difference compared to civil marriages that were not preceded by a thorough preparation process”: it was explained on the website of the Latvian Church by the metropolitan archbishop of Riga Msgr. Zbigniew Stankeviès, upon his return from the Synod on the family. “In our society, in the media, in the political realm, it’s important to raise the awareness that the care of the family should be the primary concern of the State. If the family feels safe it flourishes, children are born, they grow into sound adults and society starts to blossom. But if the family feels threatened, if there are economic difficulties, no security, the whole of society degenerates”. As for the questions on communion to remarried divorcees or homosexual unions the archbishop spoke of a “misunderstanding” and “public outcry” fabricated by the media: “Church teaching has not changed and we don’t expect that it will”. “The problem is how to revitalize” the family reality.