Poona: A Catholic bishop has urged media persons to stop chasing scandals and instead promote spiritual values and integrity to save the family and society.
“It is sad that journalists are led by three S’s: Scandals, sensationalism and Sex. This can degenerate into perversion and destruction of personalities, achieving no good at all,” said Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune while addressing the 21st national convention of Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA).
“Christian Journalists and Family values” was the theme of the March 11-13 ICPA meeting at Ishwani Kendra (center of Lord’s voice) in Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra state, western India.
The prelate, the keynote speaker, noted that journalists and media have become vital components of modern world, as they can reach countless people in short time. “With such importance and power, journalists can make precious contributions for the stability and strengthening of family life,” he told more than 60 delegates from various parts of India.
Bishop Dabre, who had just returned from the biennial plenary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in Bangalore, said the Church leaders were worried about the decline in family values, deterioration of spiritual and moral principles and growth in materialism and consumerism.
The March 2-9 CBCI meeting sought as its theme “The response of the Church in India to the present day challenges.”
Bishop Dabre further said the prelates were concerned about growing insensitivity to equality of gender, caste, language, creed, status. Increasing addiction to social media is another cause for worry for the bishops.
Underscoring that what happens in society affects family, Bishop Dabre said society’s problems are bound to impact life in the family. “For we are all connected to one another,” he added.
According to him, large scale poverty continues to widen the rich-poor gap while corruption, illiteracy, child labor, unemployment, alcoholism and substance abuse threaten society.
The prelate also decried narrow unitary cultural nationalism and dictatorship of a section of the media, systematic efforts to manipulate the education system, opposition to fundamental rights and widespread intolerance.
Bishop Dabre condemned attacks on intellectuals, social activists, religious personnel and institutions. Pune witnessed in August 2013 the killing of Narendra Dabholkar, who founded a forum to eradicate superstition in Maharashtra. Motorcycle-borne assailants pumped four bullets into the 67-year-old thinker.
The prelate bemoaned violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and growing criminalization and terrorism. Denial of reservation to Dalit Christian is also a matter of worry, he added.
Under these circumstances, the Christian journalists have to become persons of authentic, Christian commitment and spiritual and moral integrity, Bishop Dabre said while reminding the gathering to follow Christian values and principles in their works. “All your work should be in accordance with the Christian spirit,” he added.
Only then, can they respond courageously and forcefully to the challenges in the country, the prelate asserted.
Bishop Dabre urged Christian journalists to “courageously and constructively” critique errors, abuses and unchristian practices in the Church. Christian journalists, he added, should address problems in the Church and analyze them critically. “There should be no difficulty for Church leadership to be open to constructive criticism,” he assured the journalists.
The prelate said Christian journalists should highlight Christ’s message as “the best answer” to modern challenges and problems. “Jesus’s message of forgiveness will bring peace and happiness to the world. It is not weapons and wars that will ease up tensions, but spirit of forgiveness.”
According to the Catholic bishop, the spirit of forgiveness will help “us deal with our problems in Kashmir and Pakistan as everywhere.”
The ICPA meeting felicitated Christian journalists from Pune: Michael Gonsalves, senior assistant editor of Financial Chronicle, and Edison Samraj, director, Adventist Media Centre.
ICPA presented Reggie David of Jabalpur the Swami Devanand Chakkunkal Award for the Best Hindi Christian Writer while Kirubai Doss from Tamil Nadu won the award for the Dalit Cause.
Doss from Neyveli has written extensively on the issue of untouchability in the Church and society. David edits Jabalpur diocesan magazine.
The association also honored Ignatius Gonsalves, editor of Jeevanadham, Kerala, Ladislaus D’ Sousa, copy editor of St Pauls and Better yourself books, Lawrence Coelho and Susan Coelho, editor of Secular Citizen, and Diva, a Konkani Magazine from Mumbai.