National Seminar on Communications for Theology Students Held
New Delhi (CBCI News): Formation in social communication is indispensible for the formation of pastoral personnel who have to deal with a society that is so deeply influenced by media today, said Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto of Delhi, inaugurating the 3-day national seminar on social communication for students of theology at Vidyajyoti College of Theology Delhi, October 4. Media are indispensible for any pastoral ministry today and it is essential that pastoral personnel know how they impact society, he said. Sixty five students of theology from six theological faculties in India attended the seminar.
The seminar, organised by the CBCI Office for Social Communications, discussed the theme of re–gaining images and likeness in a new media culture: pastoral challenge today. Fr. George Plathottam, Secretary CBCI OSC said the seminar is envisaged as an effort of the Church in India to promote reflection and action in social communication for pastoral personnel. The sessions were animated by Dr. John Dayal, Fr Dominic Emmanuel, Fr Joby Kavungal, Fr Jose Vallikatt and Fr. George Plathottam. The students also made presentations on the theme through short papers, posters and videos and held group discussions and sharing on the theme.
The CBCI Office for Social Communications organised the first national seminar on social communications in Kolkata in 2011. In 2012 the second seminar was held at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV) Pune. The seminars are intended to provide the students of theology a forum to come together and to interact with each other and with media experts on challenges and opportunities offered by social communications and pastoral ministry. It helps to motivate them not only to promote communications in their seminaries through formation of media associations, celebration of World Communication Days, study of relevant media themes, but also to help them to integrate social communications in their personal formation, theological reflection as well as pastoral ministry within and outside the seminary.
The CBCI-OSC has been striving to emphasis the formation of pastoral personnel in social communication as urged by the Church, through creating study resources, organizing training programs, seminars and competitions. The CBCI-OSC website (www.cbcimedia.org) has a section on formation with a view to support these efforts.