I'm going ahead with this post now but it should come as no surprise that I could spend more time contemplating what came through the public Twitter stream when bloggers met at the Vatican (#VBM11).
Life in the church being what it is, many of the Roman Catholic bloggers I respect are now embroiled (read: skewered and barbequed) in the latest poop-storm. Which one? The one about whether there's any Biblical, scriptural or historical basis for women's ordination to the diaconate. I've opted-out of that conversation, my neuro-immune system cannot handle it.*
For some strange reason, possibly the fact that I earn my so-called living as a communications professional, I do have enough oomph to continue discussing church communications in general and social media in particular.
Assuming a baseline of good intentions and deep desire to serve God and Christ among all participants, I wish to point out to the Holy See (via the Pontifical Council for Social Communications) that social media, by definition, are:
- community-based, generated and sustained;
- inherently democratic and highly participatory;
- more tactically and technologically diverse than blogs; and
- an opportunity to revive and restore respect for the priesthood of all believers.
Instead of worrying about who is or is not faithful to the Magisterium, I prayerfully suggest we use social media wisely and well to:
- reveal and be Christ to one another;
- deliver the Gospel message of love, mercy and forgiveness;
- represent the Catholic imagination with sanity and civility; and
- welcome everyone and anyone to the fullness of life in Christ.
Amen?
May I also rouse an "alleluia" or is that pushing it?
* If your neuro-immune system can handle it, then by all means, go read comments on Deacon Greg Kandra's blog, The Deacon's Bench, relative to this topic. The anger, venom, and sheer stupidity evident in far-too-many of the comments is staggering. These are my brothers in Christ? God, help me.
