"Around America. Conquest and evangelization"Long live Blue Monday!How to act in case of sacrilege? Redress and reparation- Javier," a fourteen-year-old boy asked me not long ago, "to what extent has Freemasonry infiltrated the Church?
I took a deep breath before answering. Because when a young man of that age asks you a question like that, there are many resonances that come to mind. The first thing, of course, is where did this teenager get these questions from. I have no doubt that this boy has heard or read this on some website specializing in church news.
And then I cannot forget what a bishop friend told me about the polarization that was taking place in some sectors of the Church.
- The problem is that we have a people of God feeding primarily from the Internet.
Obviously I am not going to make an anti-network approach. It would be somewhat paradoxical in an article written in a digital magazine. But I think it is important to warn about what this bishop pointed out. In the Catholic media it is also easy to fall into a sensationalist line and polarizingThe main reason is that for these media the most important thing is to attract the maximum number of entries to their digital portals.
The technique of clickbaitThe cyber-anzuelo in Spanish, is widely spread on the Internet. Also among our media. A headline or a photograph that does not provide information but arouses curiosity and makes the reader surfing that page take the bait and click on the link that leads to the article. In this way, entries are added to the statistics that will place a publication above its competitors. If we add to that a certain dose of tension, adrenaline, indignation or morbidity, we have the ideal hook for more Catholics to become consumers of that web page.
This is the dynamic of many general media and it is also the dynamic of some ecclesial information media. The problem, as we were saying, is that this dynamic feeds polarization and tensions within the Church. Especially if we end up getting into a thought bubble and place ourselves on one side or the other of the fence.
These are not easy times for those who pursue a more objective analysis -they will be forgotten as boring-, for those who seek to build bridges -they will be branded as lukewarm-, for those who assume the nuances of reality and, above all, want to nourish their faith and relationship with the Church from the Gospel, rather than from digital publications.
And yet today there is a special need for journalism that approaches the ecclesial reality with rigor and truth. Without sensationalism or playing with the passions of the reader. And, if I may say so, with a deep love for the Church.
- Can I ask you another question? -My young interlocutor continued, "Is it true that the Second Vatican Council is to blame for what is happening in the Church today?
I smiled. And I prepared myself for a long conversation. A young person's questions should always be taken seriously and deserve to be answered. Rigorously, truthfully, comprehensively. And with a deep love for the Church. That would take me at least a couple of hours.
- I love that you ask me that question...do you know what a council is and how many there have been throughout the history of the Church?
Teaching Delegate in the Diocese of Getafe since the 2010-2011 academic year, he has previously exercised this service in the Archbishopric of Pamplona and Tudela, for seven years (2003-2009). He currently combines this work with his dedication to youth ministry directing the Public Association of the Faithful 'Milicia de Santa Maria' and the educational association 'VEN Y VERÁS. EDUCATION', of which he is President.
