Vatican official says Catholics must repent for not sharing good news

Published: 2007-03-06

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics, and especially Catholic communicators, must ask forgiveness for the times they have failed to share God's love and compassion, said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley. "Certainly, it is necessary to identify the evils in society and warn people against them, but our major effort should be in proclaiming the knowledge and love of our merciful savior, Jesus Christ," said the archbishop, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The archbishop made his remarks in a March 5 homily during the opening Mass of the council's annual plenary session at the Vatican. The good news and the good deeds undertaken by the church out of love for God and for other people need to be shared every bit as much as the church warnings about evil, Archbishop Foley said. The media are used successfully "to sell soap and automobiles and clothing and vacation experiences," he said. But Christians, "who have the responsibility to proclaim the most important message in the history of the human race, have often lacked the imagination and the dedication to use the media well in making known the good news of Jesus Christ," the archbishop said.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .