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Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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                               VIS-Press releases

CHILDREN AND THE MEDIA: A CHALLENGE FOR EDUCATION

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today, Feast of St. Francis de
Sales, patron saint of journalists, was Benedict XVI's Message for the World
Day of Social Communications, which this year is due to be celebrated on May
20, on the theme: "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education."

The Holy Father's Message has been published in Italian, English, French,
German, Spanish and Portuguese. Extracts from the English language version are
given below:

"The theme of the Forty-first World Communications Day," the Holy Father's
Message begins, "invites us to reflect on two related topics of immense
importance. The formation of children is one. The other, perhaps less obvious
but no less important, is the formation of the media.

"The complex challenges facing education today are often linked to the
pervasive influence of the media in our world. ... Indeed, some claim that the
formative influence of the media rivals that of the school, the Church, and
maybe even the home. 'Reality, for many, is what the media recognize as real.'

"The relationship of children, media, and education can be considered from two
perspectives: the formation of children by the media; and the formation of
children to respond appropriately to the media. ... Within this framework,
training in the proper use of the media is essential for the cultural, moral
and spiritual development of children."

"Educating children to be discriminating in their use of the media is a
responsibility of parents, Church, and school. The role of parents is of
primary importance. They have a right and duty to ensure the prudent use of the
media by training the conscience of their children to express sound and
objective judgments which will then guide them in choosing or rejecting
programs available. In doing so, parents should have the encouragement and
assistance of schools and parishes in ensuring that this difficult, though
satisfying, aspect of parenting is supported by the wider community.

"Media education should be positive. Children exposed to what is aesthetically
and morally excellent are helped to develop appreciation, prudence and the
skills of discernment. Here it is important to recognize the fundamental value
of parents' example and the benefits of introducing young people to children's
classics in literature, to the fine arts and to uplifting music. While popular
literature will always have its place in culture, the temptation to
sensationalize should not be passively accepted in places of learning."

"Like education in general, media education requires formation in the exercise
of freedom. This is a demanding task. So often freedom is presented as a
relentless search for pleasure or new experiences. Yet this is a condemnation
not a liberation! True freedom could never condemn the individual - especially
a child - to an insatiable quest for novelty. In the light of truth, authentic
freedom is experienced as a definitive response to God's 'yes' to humanity,
calling us to choose, not indiscriminately but deliberately, all that is good,
true and beautiful. Parents, then, as the guardians of that freedom, while
gradually giving their children greater freedom, introduce them to the profound
joy of life.

"This heartfelt wish of parents and teachers to educate children in the ways of
beauty, truth and goodness can be supported by the media industry only to the
extent that it promotes fundamental human dignity, the true value of marriage
and family life, and the positive achievements and goals of humanity. Thus, the
need for the media to be committed to effective formation and ethical standards
is viewed with particular interest and even urgency not only by parents and
teachers but by all who have a sense of civic responsibility.

"While affirming the belief that many people involved in social communications
want to do what is right, we must also recognize that those who work in this
field confront 'special psychological pressures and ethical dilemmas' which at
times see commercial competitiveness compelling communicators to lower
standards.

"Any trend to produce programs and products - including animated films and
video games - which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray
anti-social behavior or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion,
all the more repulsive when these programs are directed at children and
adolescents. How could one explain this 'entertainment' to the countless
innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse?"

"Again I appeal to the leaders of the media industry to educate and encourage
producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect
individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.

"The Church herself, in the light of the message of salvation entrusted to her,
is also a teacher of humanity and welcomes the opportunity to offer assistance
to parents, educators, communicators, and young people. Her own parish and
school programs should be in the forefront of media education today."
MESS/WORLD DAY COMMUNICATIONS/...VIS 070124 (820)

SUMMARY

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