Vatican official tells advertisers to uphold human dignity, values

Published: 2004-05-07

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The greatest harm done by advertising is "the impression which is created that having is more important than being," a top Vatican official told advertisers. "I have seen young people mocked and their self-image gravely damaged because they were not wearing the fashionable shirt or shoes of the moment," said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The Vatican released the archbishop's address May 6, the day he spoke to participants of an international conference of the World Federation of Advertisers being held in Santiago, Chile. The federation includes about 50 national associations of advertisers and about 30 international corporations.

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