In his recent message for World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI noted that priests, "whose primary duty is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God," now stand at the threshold of new era as new technologies create deeper forms of relationships. As such, "they are called to respond pastorally by putting media ever more effectively at the service of the Word." The Holy Father further remind his priests that by effectively using communication technologies, they can introduce people to the life of the Church and help our contemporaries to discover the Face of Christ.
It was the promise of these new technologies, with their nearly limitless capacity for facilitating the proclamation of the Gospel, that led to the development of my own media apostolate,
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. The purpose of this evangelization outreach is to utilize new technologies in creative ways that will enhance the rapport between the Faith and the culture and offer an experience of the Church that is grounded in intelligence and truth. Over the years, myself, my staff and the supporters of
Word on Fire have witnessed first hand the effectiveness of the new media in its service to evangelization. Because of these new technologies, the Church is able to share the Gospel with many who would never darken the doors of our institutions or who might never meet a Catholic face to face.
In order to enhance
Word on Fire's outreach, I am now releasing a blog. I envision this blog as an online magazine that will have as its purpose to advance the dialogue of the Faith, culture and theology. It is my hope that this latest
Word on Fire production will help to renew the mind of the Church and introduce more people to the riches of the Church's Tradition. The Catholic Faith is a smart religion; this is to our credit and is one of the Church's greatest strengths. It is my conviction that we should be leading with this strength in terms of our conversation with the culture.
However,
Word on Fire's new blog will not just be about ideas; it will also be about our mission. We will be better able to provide you with information about our many endeavors, particularly our work on the
Catholicism series- a ten part documentary for television and DVD that is currently in production. This series will display the truth, goodness and beauty of the Church's beliefs, practices and global culture. Also, as I have envisioned this blog as a kind of magazine, it will feature (in conjunction with my own content) contributions from other members of the
Word on Fire team.
The launch of this new online magazine coincides with my own journey to Rome. I will be in the Eternal City for several weeks working on projects related to the
Catholicism series, including finishing the manuscript of the book that will accompany the release of the series. Please pray for me so that my own efforts and the efforts of everyone at
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries might bring the Holy Father's vision of effective evangelization through the use of contemporary media to fulfillment.