The Church and Social Communication in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D.

FABC-OSC Bishops’ Meet BISCOM Roundtable Conferences The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective Home of the great religions, Asia and its evangelization, call for dialogue as a way of life.” The Church in Asia must be rooted in the life of the Trinity… as a Sacrement of the loving self- communication of God… aimed at community building.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective The Church in Asia must proclaim the Good News to people involved in communication in the region. The Church is challenged not only to utilize the different modern tools of social communication but, more so, by reaching out to the people responsible in these technologies and their users.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective A spirituality which flows out of the communication of the Holy Trinity must be reflected in and matched with deep daily experiences of the communicators in the Church

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective In the context of Asia, the challenge of communication lies primarily in the person of the communicator, who accepts the cross and vulnerability of the God-man and shuns all pomp, triumphalism and ambivalence.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective The Church should listen to the ‘aspirations, dreams, and anxieties” of the youth and she must be aware of their growing involvement with modern technologies. The Church in Asia should be involved in any way possible in the promotion of communication in families and group of families.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective Communication is essential for developing an effective inter- religious dialogue at all levels which are expressions of communicating faith.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective The Church in Asia should use the traditional communication as well as modern electronic media in the service of his people. Signs, symbols and other artistic expressions which are distinctly Asian should form part of our Eucharistic celebrations.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Specific Actions: Asian Perspective Preparation of a pastoral plan for communication Organization of media workshops

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective Creation of communication office and appointment of full time media professional as director Specific Actions: Organization of media workshops

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective Specific Actions: Proper networking with media practitioners Provision of programs for pastoral support of media professionals

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Asian Perspective Specific Actions: Development of traditional media as alternative means of social communications Promotion of effective network of Christian communicators in Asia

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Most of the Episcopal conferences in Asia have Offices for Social Communication (OSC) headed by a bishop Most of the dioceses also have OSCs but many of them are not necessarily active

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Most of the Episcopal conferences have a Pastoral Plan on Social Communication Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments India has the most detailed pastoral plan. There is a need still to put most of these plans into action.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) aside from Radio Vaticana, it is the only Catholic continental short-wave radio station in the world, broadcasts throughout Asia in 17 languages spoken in 21 different Asian countries.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) 90% of listeners are non Christians making RVA a good instrument to reach out to and form non-believers

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Asian Research Center for Religion and Communication (ARC) Priority research areas: Communication within the Church; Church, communication and society; Religion, culture and communication.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Graduate Program on Social/Pastoral Communications at UST Thrust: to widen the scope of discussion on social/pastoral communication; to develop relevant and contextualized perspectives; to intensify immersion in pastoral and evangelizing settings; to engage the students in scientific research and in-depth study of pastoral and evangelizing communication realities in Asia

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Experiences, Developments, Accomplishments Initiatives in the Philippines: Formation sessions for media practitioners AMANU and other programs

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Opportunities: SUMMARY FABC initiatives: Bishops Meet, Biscom, Roundtable Meetings Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) Asian Research Center for Religion and Communication (ARC)

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. SUMMARY Opportunities: Graduate Program at UST Local Initiatives

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. SUMMARY Challenges: Absence of doable pastoral plans Financial constraints Infiltration of modern technology

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. SUMMARY The Church has to reach out to media practitioners and to use as much as possible these communication tools without leaving behind the old tested way of face-to-face communication.

The Church and Social Communications in Asia + Roberto C. Mallari, D.D. Dream for Media to make our people feel that they are stakeholdersto make our people feel that they are stakeholders to take away the passivity of our people and make them critical thinkersto take away the passivity of our people and make them critical thinkers to promote unityto promote unity to hone communicators illumined by selfless loveto hone communicators illumined by selfless love