Vatican official: Church has underemphasized being a mother, overemphasized being a teacher

September 05, 2014

The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has told a group of bishops from Bolivia and Peru that the Church’s bishops, in making use of social media, should embody the tenderness of the Church’s maternal nature.

It is “not enough” to be present in the world of social media, said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, who has served in his position since 2007. Instead, non-Catholics should perceive that “our people have tenderness for men and women today” and that the bishop is not only an administrator but also a pastor “who has tenderness that is an expression of the tenderness of God.”

According to the Pontifical Council’s summary of his remarks, Archbishop Celli described the Church as “mother and teacher. And perhaps we have emphasized much of the dimension of teaching and have forgotten that of maternity.”

Archbishop Celli also said that in establishing a great presence in the digital world, dioceses should not abandon newspapers. He added that “our resources are often directed to the fish already in the tank, without considering that the majority of the fish are outside.”

 

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Further information:

• Inició el Seminario de Comunicación para Obispos de Perú y Bolivia. Crónica del primer día (Pontifical Council for Social Communications)
• Seminario de Comunicación para Obispos de Perú y Bolivia (CELAM)