The Catholic Church uses media for “unity and advancement” (Pontifical Council for Social Communication, 1971, p. 1). This unity and advancement is achieved when the Church uses media as a means for evangelism and education of the Church. In addition to these purposes, the Catholic Church also uses media as a platform for communicating with their congregation and the public in general. The Communio et Progressio details the Catholic teachings about media to help guide its followers when interacting with media tools. This document touches on the ideas that media should be used to promote unity and advancement in the church, as well as how media can be used as a means for education and advocacy for the Church when the user and recipient are properly trained and know the responsibilities that come with media interaction. In smaller churches, such as the ones in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy, media is used sparingly in the forms of paper programs to help the congregation navigate the service and flyers hung outside the churches to spread news and communicate with the community. The photo below was taken on Easter Sunday at a morning mass at Rivaio Church in Castiglion Fiorentino. This photo is a program that was placed in the pews prior to mass. The program helped the congregation to follow along and read along with the priest during the service. Being able to follow the priest and take the word home can help the congregation receive the most from the messages and learn deeper than if the programs were not present.
References
Pontifical Council for Social Communication. (1971). Pastoral Instructions: Communio et Progressio, Vatican Document.