By Matters India Reporter
Panaji, June 23, 2023: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of Goa and Daman, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India, has urged people to use the social media responsibly and avoid becoming social hermits.
The cardinal said this June 23 while releasing the Indian edition of the book “Towards Full Presence — A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media” at function in the Archbishop’s House in Panaji, capital of Goa state.
“Social media offer a chance to encourage interaction with others, but they can also make us feel more alone. While using the social media, some people may develop the perilous tendency to isolate themselves from society by becoming ‘social hermits,’ which is a dangerous phenomenon,” the cardinal added.
Also present were Fathers Stephen Alathara, CCBI deputy secretary general, Duming Gonsalves, executive secretary, Commission for Catechetics; and Barry Cardozo, director of Goa Archdiocesan Centre for Social Communications, along with Menino Menezes and Hazel Rodrigues
The book is a document published by the Dicastery for Communication on May 29. Its aim is to promote a common reflection on the involvement of Christians in social media. The document offers an opportunity to begin a shared reflection on how to promote a culture of being ‘loving neighbors’ also in the digital world, Father Alathara said.
The Indian edition is published by the CCBI and its copies are available with the deputy secretary general.