"Communio et Progressio" - Its Contribution to Communication Theology

Ta Anh Vu

Introduction

The pastoral "Communio et Progressio" is the direct result of Inter Mirifica, the degree of the Second Vatican on the means of social communication. It follows the demand of this document to "issue a Pastoral Instruction" with the assistance of experts from various countries so that the general principles and norms of IM may be put into effects.[1]

Directly after Vatican II, a new commission is set up and it was compiled of 7 bishops from the different continents of the earth and the presidents of the three international catholic organizations for Press, Radio-TV, and film. In November 1964, 87 bishops and representatives for communication of national bishop's conferences assembled in Rom. They prepared a questionnaire and sent it to all bishop's conferences of the world. The result of these actions were again discussed in another assembly on October 27, 1965. This was a long process. First they studied and discussed the proposal, prepared by the experts. In their view, this paper should contain a general part for all means of communication and a specific one for the different media. The members and consultants of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications aimed at a unified text. They reduced the first paper from over 300 pages to a second one with 164 pages. But also this second proposal still seemed to be too long and not yet sufficiently unified. Finally, they came to the agreement with the new version in the plenary assembly of the commission in their meeting in June from 1 to 8, 1970. The final version was completed in autumn 1970. Pope Paul VI approved the document without any changes on January 21, 1971.[2] On June 3, 1971, the Pastoral Instruction "Communio et Progressio" was presented by Gordon G. Cardinal Gray (Edingburgh) to journalists at the Vatican Press Hall.[3]

With such preparation and investment of time and expert people, Communio et Progressio is somehow different from all other Church documents. It is not a personal act of a pope like an encyclical or an apostolic exhortation, but it is rather a teamwork of Church's people and experienced professionals in the field of social communication. "It is considered the most professional and best document on social communication of the Church and beyond."[4] Therefore, this document is considered as the "magna Charta" of Christian communication. Moreover, it is the first document which initially points out some theological aspects as foundations for Social Communication.

The General Outline of a Communication Theology

According to the Pastoral Instruction social communication is "indispensable to the smooth functioning of modern society".[5] This conception of social communication is already noted at the beginning of the document: "The unity and advancement of men living in society: these are the chief aims of social communication and of all the means it uses".[6]

Based on the theology of creation, the Church sees all human efforts in improving the conditions for human life, including scientific wonders and technical achievements, as a "response ... to the divine command to "possess and master the world", and in this way "an act of cooperation in the divine work of creation and conservation".[7] Human beings are able to communicate and to develop means and ways of communication because they are created in God's image and likeness.[8] Having created the human being, God has given him his creative power.

"Social communications tend to multiply contacts within society and to deepen social consciousness". The end of social communications, therefore, is the commonness between human beings. In the Christian perspective, the root of communication lies in the Holy Trinity: "In the Christian faith, the unity and brotherhood of man are the chief aims of all communication, and these find their source and model in the central mystery of the eternal communication between the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit who live a single divine life."[9]

So positive human beings are seen in the creation and so ideal their creative power and communicative ability is understood in Christian faith, Communio et Progressio refers to the fact that human communication can fail because of the sinfulness of man.[10] The unity and ability to communicate between people was destroyed as humans turn away from God. But it was re-established in Jesus Christ, "the Incarnate Son, the Word and Image of the invisible God".[11] "As the only mediator between the Father and mankind" Christ lays down the foundation of unity among men themselves. Human communication, therefore, finds its highest ideal and supreme in God whom Jesus has revealed.[12] Jesus' communication is described in the following word:

"While he was on earth, Christ revealed himself as the Perfect Communicator (in German version: der Meister der Kommunikation). Through his "incarnation", he utterly identified himself with those who were to receive his communication, and he gave his message not only in words but in the whole manner of his life. He spoke from within, that is to say, from out of the press of his people. He preached the divine message without fear of compromise. He adjusted to his people's way of talking and to their patterns of thought. And he spoke out of the predicament of their time."[13]

This thinking does not come out of a pious decoration of the Christian understanding of communication. Moreover, the document attempts to present a communication model which should be the original form of all human communication. It states that "Communication is more than the expression of ideas and the indication of emotion". The deep dimension of social communication lies in "giving of self in love". The text, further, refers to the Eucharist as "the most perfect, most intimate form of communion between God and human possible in this life, and out of this, the deepest possible unity between people and God".[14] Living in communication and communion with Christ, humans receive "his life-giving Spirit who brings all men together in unity".[15] In this perspective, the Church serves as the example of a life in communication and communion with Jesus Christ with the help of the word and the sacraments.

Based on these foundations, the means of social communication become godly means to achieve unity among mankind. They even, as is stated in CeP almost enthusiastically, "provide some of the most effective means for the cultivation of that charity among men which is at once the cause and the expression of fellowship"[16]. However, this destination can only be reached if the media are in service of the search for truth and the support of the progress of humanity in a way that keeps the freedom of mankind to decide about the use of the media.[17]

Some Considerations

In a concise declaration, Communio et Progressio sketches out some essential theological elements regarding social communication. According to this document, human communication and all means and ways it uses should be considered in the perspective of these theological points. The reason is that we need a true interpretation of the dignity of man in any communication happening. The document states "whoever wants to see the media take their allotted place in the history of creation, in the Incarnation and Redemption, and to consider the morality that governs their use, must have a full and proper understanding of man."[18]

However, one can gain true knowledge of human being only if s/he tries to search for the knowledge of God who he is, in which way he sees human beings and in which relation to human being he lives. So, the proper understanding of man is dependent on the proper understanding of God. Since the Second Vatican, theological thinking is strongly influenced by the concept of the self-communication of God which several theologians and especially Karl Rahner have developed in the course of theological reflection.[19] According to this concept, when God reveals himself in the history of human beings, he does not aim at giving to human beings information about him, but rather, he communicates himself. This self-communication of God reaches its fullness in his Son, in the person of Jesus, in human history. In this perspective, for proper communication between human beings, it is necessary to look at divine communication which Jesus Christ has shown us: the communication in God himself, the divine communication, revealed to human beings, all the way God has used for communication with human beings, and its goal. These theological aspects need to be deepened and unfolded in further theological reflections. However, all these basic elements compose the whole of a communication theology. In other words, we must look at the communication dimension in all theological disciplines.

As we know, Inter Mirifica was published at the beginning of the Second Vatican Council as one the first two documents. At that time, the council fathers did not finish theological and pastoral reflections which lead to other important documents like "Dei Verbum", "Lumen Gentium", "Gaudium et Spes", "Ad Gentes", etc. For this reason, Eilers states that "it is important to 'read' the document (Inter Mirifica) in the light of other documents of the Council".[20] Now, Communio et Progressio is prepared and finished several years later where theological and pastoral considerations are further developed and ripe, one can see some theological ideas of the Second Vatican Council placed in this Pastoral Instruction.

The following table may illustrate on the one hand fundamental aspects of human communication in comparison with divine communication, on the other hand, the train of thoughts by the makers of Communio et Progressio:

Certainly, one can add other Church's documents which have come after the Second Vatican like "Evangelii Nuntiandi" (1975), "Dominum et Vivificantem" (1986), "Redemptoris Missio" (1990), the Pastoral Instruction "Aetatis Novae" (1992), etc. to enlighten the social communication dimension in theological perspective. But in this paper, the point of view is restrained to theological reflection of the Second Vatican Council.

Conclusion

Communio et Progressio can be regarded as one of the most positive Church's documents on social communication. It is a work of collaboration between the representatives of the Church through the bishops involved and the experts in the field of social communication. The long process of preparation, discussions and final publication shows the particular concern of the Church about social communication. For the first time, the Church has laid down theological foundation for the ministry in pastoral and social communication which opens the way for further reflection on theology of social communication, including the whole of theology (Christology, Trinity, Creation, Salvation, Redemption, Ecclesiology, etc.). Based on this foundation, the document has shown the model of Christian communication.

The Pastoral Instruction, however, confines itself to "basic doctrinal principles and general pastoral guidelines"[21]. It calls for the awareness and responsibilities of all members of the Church related to the situation of social communication.[22] It also sees the need of "rigorous program(s) of scientific research" to handle effectively in the field of social communication. This should be especially the task of universities.[23] The course "Theology of Social/Pastoral Communication" in the Graduate School of the Pontifical Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila (Philippines) is trying to follow this line. We have conducted some important works, but there are still other works to be done.

References:

"Ad Gentes": Degree on the Mission Activity of the Church. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

“Communio et Progressio”: Pastoral Instruction for the Application of the Degree of the Second Vatican Council on the Means of Social Communication, published by the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, May 23, 1971. In: Eilers, Franz-Josef. Church and Social Communication. Manila: Logos 2^nd Ed. 1997

“Dei Verbum”: The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation of the Vatican Council II.  November 18, 1965. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

“Gaudium et Spes”: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

“Inter Mirifica”: Decree on the Media of Social Communication. In: Eilers, Franz-Josef. Church and Social Communication. Manila Logos 2^nd Ed. 1997.

“Lumen Gentium”: The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

"Nostra Aetate": Declaration on the Relation of the Church to non-Christian Religions. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

“Sacrosanctum Concilium”: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. In: Flannery, Austin (Ed.). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. North Port NY: Costello Publishing 1996.

Eilers, Franz-Josef. Church and Social Communication: Basic Documents. Logos Publications, Inc.: Manila. ^2nd Ed. 1997.

Eilers, Franz-Josef. Communicating Church: Social Communication Documents: An Introduction. Logos Publications, Inc. Manila 2011.

Ta, Anh Vu. Communication Theology: A New Approach. In: Religion and Social Communication: Journal of the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication. Vol. 9: 2011.

                [1] IM, No. 23.

                [2] Cf. Eilers, Franz-Josef, Church and Social Communication: Basic Documents. Logos Publications, Inc.: Manila ^2nd Ed. 1997. 70-71.

                [3] Eilers, Franz-Josef. Communicating Church. Social Communication Documents: An Introduction. Logos Publications, Inc.: Manila 2011. 142

                [4] Eilers, Franz-Josef. Communicating Church. Social Communication Documents: An Introduction. 143.

                [5] CeP. No. 6.

                [6] CeP. No. 1.

                [7] CeP. No. 7.

                [8] Gen 1:26-28; GS. No. 34.

                [9] CeP. No. 8.

                [10] CeP. No. 9.

                [11] CeP. 10.

                [12] CeP. Ibd.

                [13] CeP. No. 11.

                [14] CeP. Ibd.

                [15] CeP. Ibd.

                [16] CeP. No. 12.

                [17] CeP. No. 13.

                [18] CeP. No. 15.

                [19] Ta, Anh Vu. Communication Theology: A New Approach. In: Religion and Social Communication: Journal of the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication. Vol. 9: 2011. 3

                [20] Eilers, Franz-Josef. Communicating Church. Social Communication Documents: An Introduction. Logos Publications, Inc. Manila 2011. 136.

                [21] CeP. No. 3.

                [22] No. 182.

                [23] No. 184-185.