Vatican official: Media nonsense on religion often reflects ignorance

Published: 2007-05-18

LONDON (CNS) -- The media spread "all types of nonsense" about religion, sometimes out of malice, but usually out of ignorance, said U.S. Archbishop John P. Foley. While all Catholics have an obligation to share the saving love of Christ with others, Catholic communicators have an obligation "to be accurate and to help others to be accurate," the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications said May 17 in London. "This is not so much to evangelize or even to catechize, but -- if I may invent a word -- to 'accuratize,' to make sure that all who write or broadcast or blog have accurate information and do not, consciously or unconsciously, disseminate misinformation," he said. Archbishop Foley was in London for a Mass in anticipation of the May 20 celebration of World Communications Day. The archbishop asked everyone present at the Mass to communicate truth and to insist on accuracy in reporting on religion.

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