There are many resources of information that
the Vatican gives on how the Church can use
the Internet as a social communications medium
in proclaiming the gospel and for evangelizing
cultures and peoples in the context of peace.
Four special documents on the Internet
Below is a list of specific documents that speak
particularly on the Internet as a medium for Catholic
evangelization
Message of the Holy Father For
the 36th World Communications Day, Theme: "Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming
the Gospel", Sunday, May 12, 2002 [by the Pontificium Consilium Communicationibus
Socialibus
The Church and Internet,
February 22, 2002, by Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Ethics in Internet,
February 22, 2002, by Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Rapid Development,
Apostolic Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to those Responsible for
Communications, 24 January 2005
There are other Vatican documents that also speak on the
use of the Internet and other social communications media
for Catholic evangelization. Below is a list of these
Church documents with references to paragraphs or sections
wherein you can find the content on internet-related or
media-related topics. The Church documents on the Internet,
"The Church and Internet", "Ethics in Internet", and "Rapid
Development", were written with the following documents
listed below as references.
John Paul II,
encyclical letter Laborem Exercens, n. 25; cf. Vatican Council II,
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes,
n. 34
Vatican Council II,
Decree on the Means of Social Communications Inter Mirifica, n. 1
the Messages of
Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the World Communication
Days; Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pastoral Instruction
Communio et Progressio, Pornography and Violence in the Communications
Media: A Pastoral Response, Pastoral Instruction Aetatis Novae, Ethics in
Advertising, Ethics in Communications
Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media, n. 7, 20, 30
Communio et Progressio, n. 10, 11, 15, 19, 25, 26, 79, 86, 107, 116, 128
Inter Mirifica, 2
Aetatis Novae, n. 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 23-33
Ethics in Communication, n. 1, 2, 3, 5, 11, 22, 25, 26, 29
Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation
Dei Verbum, n. 10
Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church
Lumen Gentium, n. 37
Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, n. 37
John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Novo Millenio Ineunte, n. 39, 43, 47
Reading and studying the Vatican documents on the Internet
will truly help the Catholic web site owner or webauthor
on how he is to be faithful to the teaching of the Church
as regards the responsible use of the Internet in Catholic
evangelization and the proclamation of the gospel. To keep
updated of any document that may have been written by the
Vatican authorities and which have been released at the
Vatican website, you can use their search facility at Vatican Search
