The world today is continuing its advancement regarding media communications.  I cannot count with my fingers anymore the rapid development that the media communications are confronting with the past decades of its existence in the world.  Because of the blossoming advancement of technology in the world, the manifestations of the rapid expansion of media communications have been so widely felt by every race and nation.  In homes, schools, offices, churches and other institutions, media communications share a significant role for accessible communication which conveys new innovations for manifesting and enhancing the value of communication in different institutions and sectors of the society.  The world has reached the path of becoming a ‘cradle for the rapid development of media communications.  The changes in communication are apparent in every circumstance of man’s life.  However, the Church is still challenges each one of us on how far rapid development of media communications have realized the Church’s ultimate concern (i.e. to evangelize her flock using media communications) which must also be the ultimate concern of every media industry that employs the rapid development of media communication in the world.

When I start to read and reflect on the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II entitled The Rapid Development, I realized that the Church is continuing her fight on promulgating evangelization towards her flock in using the means of media communications provided by the media industries in the world.  The Church considers media communications as instruments for fulfilling her ultimate concern in every person of the world, i.e. to evangelize them through the word of God by using the means of media communications.  The Church recognizes that media communications really help the human person to be connected with other persons and to be in touch with the world.  However, the Church is advocating that media communications must lead the person to be in touch with God, to be participative with prayers and liturgical ceremonies and to be inspired by the word of God.  This entails a great help for the Church if media industries realize the advocacy of the Church on the use of media communication.  Life would be meaningful if the person knows to connect and be in touch with his/her life with God who is the source of his existence, as he/she also connects and is in touch with the other persons and the world.  This would mean for the Church evangelization; allowing the person to be connected and in touch with God with the use of media communication which its fundamental concern is to evangelize the people.

I learned so many things in reading and reflecting the Apostolic Exhortation.  I cannot deny the fact that the world is facing a rapid development on the usage of media communications.  Well, I affirm that it helps the person to discover new things in his/her life, but sometimes it could be a source of his/her downfall once if it is not being used for good terms.  I agree with what the Church is advocating regarding on the use of media communications.  For me, this would really mean a great help for the Church to propagate her concern for the people, i.e. to evangelize them, to guide them in their spiritual journey and to lead them on the right path of their lives.

            Internet is one of the most convenient source of communication where people easily interacts with one another.  It is also an instant source of information needed by people.  It is also a good tool for social networking, making friends with local and foreign friends and also a good tool for exploring significant information about a certain events, situations, places and famous personalities.

            Almost everybody in the world are using the internet for communication.  But the main problem the world today is that there a lot of crimes and immoralities happening in the internet.  The very popular crimes that is happening today related to the usage of the internet is the so called ‘cyber sex;’ an internet based prostitution where prostitutes use the internet in order to gain customers from abroad.  There are also immoralities that are happening in the internet, like for instance, pornography and violence.  With every click on the internet, there may be pornographic-related or violence-related sites that could possibly be visited by the innocent children or innocent youth.  These are one of the Church’s problems today.  In the encyclical Church and the Internet, the Church made some guidelines on how the people may be properly oriented on the usage of the internet mostly for the young and the children.  This encyclical is the Church’s solution for the threatening problem of internet-related crimes and immoralities that are happening on the internet.

            When I start reading the text, I learned that the only solution in order to prevent the children and the youth from accessing internet-related crimes and immoralities is the proper guidance and attention by the adults on the usage of the internet.  The Church is asking for the participation of the parents and teachers to guide the youth on using the internet.  They must be the first educators of the youth in dealing with the internet.  They must also prevent the youth from the threatening effect of the internet which corrupts the minds of the youth.  The Church also suggests the parents and teachers to be the first persons who will introduce the word of God using the internet as a tool for evangelization and preservation of the dignity of the human person.  Evangelization starts not from the Church, but it starts from the parents and the teachers who are capable of using these means of social communication.

            In conclusion, I agree with what the Church is proposing for the parents and teachers of today regarding the use of the internet.  I learned that proper guidance and proper orientation are good remedies in order to prevent the children and the youth from the threatening effect of the internet.  It is a good thing that I became aware on the Church’s concern on the preservation of the dignity of the human person regarding the usage of the internet which also makes me realize that I must also contribute to what the Church is proposing.  Since I am capable and knowledgeable enough with regard to the internet, it urges me to help the Church guide the youth of today in using the internet.  To prevent them from the harm of the internet is a charity that I could give from the Church so as to save their souls from sin.     

I always encounter a lot of enticing and alluring advertisements everytime I read the newspaper, I browse the internet, I listen to the radio, I watch the ‘idiot box’ or I go out the seminary for vacation or for important purposes.  I could really say that the world today is bound with so many advertisements because everything is being informed and persuaded by advertising in order to invite patronage and other responses.  At present, no one can escape the influence of advertisement.  The life of a human person today could never be called a ‘worth-living’ without the presence of advertisements that inform human person with regard the new innovations, new insights and new products provided by this world.

When I read and started to reflect on the Ethics of Advertising, I’ve learned that advertising is an amoral thing.  It could be beneficial if it will be used for good purposes.  On the contrary, it could be harmful if it will be used for ill-purposes.  Hence, my mind begun to ask questions on learning the amorality of advertising in the human person: what makes advertisement advantageous and disadvantageous to the human person?  Does it help or hinder the dignity of the human person?

However, there are advantages of advertisement that can be found in every aspect of the state.  In economy, advertisement serves as a beneficial tool for utilizing the resources of the state and effectively responding to the needs of the society.  It teaches the human person to enhance his/her productive capacity for the economic growth of the state.  In politics, advertisement values the democratic system of the state.  It makes citizens participate in elections and public opinions that serve as a contributive act for the welfare of the state.  In culture, advertisement contributes to the betterment of society by uplifting and inspiring the human person to be a useful individual through his/her talents and skills.  It brightens lives by simply entertaining the human person his/her culture where he/she belongs.  In morality and religiosity of the state, advertisement helps the Church to communicate her messages concerning the human person’s need to live a tranquil life.  It also helps the Church to convey God’s Word and to evangelize the people.

On the contrary, there are also disadvantages that can be found in advertisement.  Advertisement may exploit the moral uprightness and even the dignity of human person.  There are forms of advertisement that arouse sexual instincts of the human person, which could be a source of his/her pervertness, licentiousness, wantonness and the like.  It presumes life to become better when it is directed towards ‘having’ rather than ‘being.’  It may cause to a human person’s selfishness to others, to be bias on the opinions of others, to be hostile, and to have prejudices towards ethnic and racial groups.  It may also promote the destruction of life by advertising of contraceptives and other products that are harmful to the health and life.  It can also be a source of domination and manipulation of people which could be the cause of oppression as well.

In conclusion, the Ethics in Advertising has a good point in dealing with its concerns regarding the advantages and disadvantages of advertising to the human person.  It gives an emphasis on the Church’s concern regarding the proper use of media in advertising which has to be taken always in the good terms.  In my point of view, human person should not only stop on the awareness of advantage and disadvantages of advertising in the society.  The human person must also be critical in dealing with it.  Since advertising is an amoral thing it should not end as an amoral thing, too.  I agree on the suggestion of the Church that advertising must be bound with some ethical standards in order to make it plausible for the human person.  

            I like to watch movies.  Everytime I browse the internet or read the newspaper, I always browse in the movie schedules on the newspapers or in the internet in order to be updated to the latest films that are being shown in movie theaters.  Whenever I am watching a movie, I feel that I am being fully informed regarding a particular situation of a certain place, a particular attitude of a certain race or a particular belief of a person on a certain issue in the society.

            I also like classic novels, but instead of reading it for a week, I prefer to watch it in a form of a movie for an hour since both talks the same story and depicts the same reality.

            My enthusiasm in watching movies have changed when I started reading and reflecting the 100 Years of Cinema, published by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in commemoration of the one hundredth birthday of motion picture in the world.  This pastoral text taught me to be critical in watching movies which was also a great help for me to understand and to be aware of the effects of motion pictures into the mind and actions of the human person.  I learned that motion pictures exaggerates the very essence of reality for the human person.  It defies the real significance of reality which in Philosophy, ‘reality signifies not only that which exists in complete independence of the human mind, but also that which is knowable by and intelligible for the human person.  I learned also that movies cannot fully give a hundred percent of knowledge for me so as to be informed on certain things.  Movies just only give a feeling of being informed on a certain thing or situation which also an exaggeration on the very essence of reality for the human person.  it is a good thing to ponder upon that 100 Years of Cinema is concerned on these things in the motion pictures.  Thus, the 100 Years of Cinema is telling us that we must be critical in dealing with motion pictures.

            In conclusion, the 100 Years of Cinema has a good point in dealing with its concern regarding our attitude towards motion pictures.  Being critical is one of the best thing that I must ponder on my thoughts and actions in dealing with motion pictures.  Being critical is important for me not only with movies, but also with other forms of mass media which also has the capability of exaggerating reality as it is.  The 100 Years of Cinema is a kind of relief for me that everything you see in the movie cannot be always plausible for gaining information.  

           

             Communication is one of the most essential aspects in the life of the human person which connects him/her to the world.  Without it, the human person would have a hard time to gain facts and information about the world, to interact with the other and to learn new insights about the people and the world.

           The advancement of mass media in the world has gone so far in terms of communication.  It is easy to gain facts and information about the world, to interact with the other and to learn new insights about the people and the world with the use of media.  Communications media have been so widely utilized by human persons with the fact that reliable connectivity is swift enough whereby facts, information, details, insights etc. are already attainable and accessible with the use of media.  Now, the expansions of mass media into the world have been so widely felt by the people.  It seems that everything is constantly changes from time to time because mass media continuously and rapidly advancing in time and space.  These are the insights that I have gained in reading and reflecting Aetatis Novae, a pastoral instruction on Social Communication on the 20^th anniversary of Communio et Progressio which was published on February 22, 1992.  The pastoral instruction gave me an insight on how far the mass media have reached in terms of communication and evangelization on the part of the Church’s concern in the dignity of the human person.

            The Church have been so concerned in terms of the proper usage of media and the proper training of the future priest concerning the instruments of communication.  I realize that the Church have been doing her best with the concern for the dignity of the human person and the evangelization of the word of God throughout the world with the use of communication media.  The Church is persevering to fulfill the mission which is also hoping that the Church’s concerns will be realized by the people of God as it been trying to promulgate it through herself in communications media. In reflecting Aetatis Novae, I noticed something very important as communications is concerned.  According to the Church, the right for the exercise of freedom of communication is not intended only for those who have wealth, political power and who have good educational background.  The right for the exercise of freedom of communications is the right of all.

            In conclusion, I agree what the Church’s position in cultivating and evangelizing mass media in the world.  I am hoping that the Church will no be getting tired on fulfilling her mission to take care the dignity of a person and to promulgate the word of God with the use of media.

            Pornography and violence are today’s prevalent issues of morality in the world.  It corrupts individual’s inclination to attain moral perfection.  It also threatens not only the individuals’ capacity to interact with others, but also the individuals understanding on chastity and modesty.  Today, the Church is alarmed on these prevalent issues which destroy the right disposition of communications media for the people today, most especially the youth including the children.  It is like an incurable disease that contaminates the young people’s curiosity on sex which must be understood as a sacred gift from God.  The Church pays close attention on the increasing number of media industries working and producing pornography and violence for profit in the realm of the communications media.  In answer for this dilemma that the Church is facing right now, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications publishes a Pastoral Response on “Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media” which had a special concern to the worsening condition of the communications media in the world, i.e. the emerging threats of pornography and violence on the dignity of the human person.

            In reading and reflecting the text, I was also alarmed on what pornography and violence could possibly do to a person when he/she is exposed to it.  Thus, according to the text, pornography and violence could bring about confusion, high risk of immorality, high risk of uncontrollable curiosities, sexual promiscuity, pervertness, licentiousness and wantonness to a person who is being exposed on it.  I also realized that the Church is challenged on the rapid expansion of pornography and violence in the communications media which seeks to destroy the sacredness of the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Thus, a Pastoral Response on “Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media” is the synthesis of the Church’s effort to sustain the dignity of the person which is being endangered by the alarming risk of pornography and violence in the communications media without compromising the development of the society.  Reading and reflecting it, I was challenged on the indications that the Church had written on the pastoral response centralizes on what must the people do in order to keep the youth and the children from the viral diseases brought about by pornography and violence.

            “Prevention is better than cure.” This is the Church’s propaganda to each and every one of us which must be aware of regarding the dilemma that the Church is facing as of today.  It made to my self clear that the Church is keeping on reminding each and everyone of us the importance of dignity for our lives, rather than inducing our attention to pornography and violence which leads us to licentiousness and wantonness.  “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21).

            It is so nice to see a world which everybody worked together with the Church ensuring that media may contribute to the pursuit of truth and evangelization.  It is also pleasant to hear that media industries foster quick spread of evangelization of the Gospel throughout the world.  These are my personal insights as I pondered Giovanni Montini’s (Pope Paul VI) Communio et Progressio.  The Communio et Progressio manifest Church’s total concern regarding media.  I am fascinated on Montini’s definition of Communication in connection with media, i.e. the giving of self through love.  Communication is one of the important mechanisms of media in order to work and give meaning to Man’s existence.  Without this mechanism, it is possible to see a world in chaos; people misunderstand each other which is possible for the destruction of the humanity.  Through communications, we connect our thoughts, our opinions and even our whole self to others and to the world which is so evident today.  Media gives a corresponding agreement to Man’s freewill.  Media dictates what Man must do in order to improve his life and Man acts according to the dictation of media to him.  This thing is what the Church working upon in order that Man must not lead into a trap as media dictates his freewill.  The Church is very emphatic in saying that there should be a proper guidance to Man as media dictates his freewill either it is raison d’être his orientation to things or the raison d’être his existence.

           Going back to the definition of Montini on Communication, Montini tells something that everyone should take part on the development of peoples through self-giving.  Christ revealed himself through preaching, teaching, healing and dying o the cross which are the corner stone of total self-giving to others and a real form of communication to men’s eyes, ears and heart.  This is what makes Communication and self-giving complements to one another; without communication, self-giving cannot be fully revealed to men and cannot be put into practice, without self-giving, communication is just only a facet.  

            One thing that I have noticed in the word “Communication” is its origin.  The word “Communication” is originated on the word “Communion” which is considered a stairway to unity of people in order to attain progress and development with their existence.  Progress cannot be truly attained if there is no communion of men.  Progress could never be evident if the media of communication manifests disunity with the Church’s ultimate concern which is the pursuit of the holiness to the people of God.  Progress could never be visible if media lead men into chaos and violence which must be avoided.  Media is something that we ponder upon in order to be in communion with the ultimate concern of the Church and with God whom revealed himself through communication.   

The Guide to the Training of Future Priest Concerning the Instruments of Social Communications influenced me to be more open-minded on the advancement of Social Communications which indeed has great effects on both man and society.  As I pondered on the article’s content concerning the importance of learning media tools for future priests, I realized that the Church is aware of the positive implications of Mass Media, which is indeed an integral part of Man’s everyday existence in the society.  While I was reading the article I was enlightened on the parallelism of media and evangelization which is the Church’s ultimate concern with regard to the teaching and training of future priests. The Church requires that future priests should learn the advancements on Social Communications which are very today.  The Church is continuing to do her best to provide the means in order for the future priests to understand and utilize the media in a positive way for their future ministry.

Now, the world is experiencing rapid change.  Life seems so easy, efficient and instant through the instruments of Social Communication.  Everything is attainable and affordable.  But, as the world changes rapidly, there are deceptions, faulty beliefs, information fatigue, false feelings on information and a false sense of control.   These are the dilemmas that the Church is continuing to work on while requiring the future priests to ponder on the guidelines concerning the instruments of Social Communication.  The Church wants that her flock to realize the significance of these instruments so that through easy and fast means of communication, information and availability of entertainment through media, total communion with God is achieved.

The training of future priests concerning the instruments of social communication is very important, because the Church believes that through proper and diligent training, future priests and ministers of the Church’s flock will be able to fulfill the Church’s objective; that is, to utilize media as a way of evangelizing, spreading the Word of God, reaching the far ends of the earth.

It is a good thing to know that the Church is aware of what media offers to man.  Media is one of the “essential vehicles” that man utilizes. Without it, man will have limited access to the rest of humanity, have little understanding on the different events and situations of the world, and will have difficulty communicating with others.  The Church is offering guidelines on looking at the meaning of life through media.  It is a good way to look at life in the light of Christ’s love on our lives in relation to the use of the tools available for social communication.

Giovanni Montini’s (the late Pope Paul VI) decree on Inter Mirifica is a manifestation on how the people must respond to the real objective of the Church regarding the proper usage of Mass Media as a source of information, communication and entertainment.  I realized that the Church’s decree encourages us to be more decent and extra cautious in utilizing the means of social communication for fostering better mutual understanding between people, for promoting  the human dignity, for enlarging and enriching of men’s mind and for the propagation and consolidation of the Kingdom of God.  Decency and Caution are the two aspects that make the means of social communication capable of conveying its thoughts and insights on men’s mind as regards its reaction on particular events and situation without harming man’s dignity and orientation.

            I found it obvious in Martini’s decree that the Church’s rationale for employing the means of social communication promotes life-centered values across the world.  For Martini, the Church does not end in encouraging the means of social communication for fostering better mutual understanding between people, for promoting  the human dignity, for enlarging and enriching of men’s mind and for the propagation and consolidation of the Kingdom of God per se.  Therefore, the Church gives us an insight that the media and social communications must be made available to all people around the world because this is part of their development, provided that they have a proper orientation regarding the media especially in the third millennium.

            It is good thing to know and understand that the Church is concerned of her flock as regards the information, communication and entertainment the flock received and diffused through the means of social communication.  Moreover, the Church is emphatic in saying that every information, communication and entertainment the flock assimilated must be properly converged to the Magisterium in employing the means of social communication, to man’s search for truth and ultimately, his search for God.  It would go to the point that the Church’s interest in the development of people’s through media seeks a concrete, good result from those who are using the means.  The Church therefore seeks to promote human dignity and Christ-centered values that must be imbibed in the media for the people to have a clear understanding of life given by God.