DIALOGUE, RESPECT, and FREEDOM of EXPRESSION in the PUBLIC SPHERE the Faculty of Institutional Lic Communicators
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Fall 2018 • Volume 11 • Issue 3 Sheila Liaugminas, host of Relevant Radio’s show “A Closer Look”, spoke about our responsibility to share the faith on a personal level. DIALOGUE, RESPECT, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE The faculty of Institutional lic communicators. tions faced in the fi eld of commu- Social Communications at the The conference is a biannual nication opening up debate and Pontifi cal University of the Holy event to strengthen mass commu- propositions among the speakers. Cross keeps a keen eye on develop- nication skills within the Church. Among the presenters was ments of media communication. For three days this past April, the Sheila Liaugminas, host of Rele- As communication technology faculty of Santa Croce treated an vant Radio’s show, A Closer Look. continues to evolve, so too does audience of clergy, students and Liaugminas contributed her mass the Church’s involvement in the secular communicators for the media experience to the “Respect” dynamic fi eld of media. Church to the insightful presenta- section of the conference. Along In light of the “post truth” tions. with two panel members, Liaug- climate and culture of “fake news” The conference carried its minas spoke on values in the mass that journalists today must navi- participants through three sec- media context. Her particular ex- gate, Santa Croce hosted profes- tions of discourse. It opened with pertise comes from a wide back- sionals from around the world theoretical framework of mass ground in journalism that includes for their conference, “Dialogue, communication, then investigated her current work hosting religious Respect, and Freedom of Expres- the media context in which jour- and secular leaders on the radio to sion in the Public Sphere”, to share nalists fi nd themselves. Finally, the present the Catholic faith in regard their knowledge with other Catho- conference exposed practical situa- to current news issues. continued DIALOGUE, RESPECT, AND FREEDOM Liaugminas received the invita- back to 17th century England in an tion to contribute to the conference informative lecture on this modern with special delight. She aimed to origin of the idea of free expression. transmit to her listeners the personal Developing from 17th century aspect of mass communication, that debates on religious toleration when is, maintaining the Christian respon- free expression was “spatially bound sibility to share the faith with others and temporally limited,” John said and communicate on a personal level. our current context of communica- Also contributing to the con- tion is greatly liberated by media ference from the United States, was technology. Dr. Richard John, professor at the Throughout the conference, par- Columbia Journalism School in New ticipants and presenters were able to York. John presented his discourse, meet a wide variety of individuals in- “Rediscovering the Value of Freedom volved in communication for the Dr. Richard John, Professor of of Expression: Lessons from History”. Church. Professor John said he enjoyed History and Communications at In his presentation, the history and this networking opportunity and Columbia Journalism School in New journalism expert took the audience found the conference stimulating. York City. Symposium on Religious Freedom On Monday, June 25, 2018, the Among those participating were tion,” a disturbing fact of which many university hosted the meeting “De- Ambassador Callista L. Gingrich, the are unaware. At two sessions, geno- fending International Religious Free- representatives of the Yazidi and Ro- cide survivors recounted the harrow- dom: Partnership and Action”, pro- hingya communities, Cardinal Leon- ing stories of their brutal persecution. moted by the U.S. Embassy to the ardo Sandri (Prefect of the Congrega- Ms. Salwa Khalaf Rasho, a Ya- Holy See in collaboration with Aid to tion for the Oriental Churches), zidi woman who was enslaved by the the Church in Need and the Com- Cardinal Joseph Coutts (Archbishop Islamic State in 2014, said that she munity of Sant’Egidio. of Karachi), and Vatican Secretary of and other persecuted religious minor- State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. ities “have nothing beautiful in our The meeting was a precursor to lives to discuss.” the historic “Ministerial to Advance For his part, Cardinal Joseph Religious Freedom” scheduled for Coutts, Archbishop of Karachi, Paki- July in Washington, D.C. That gath- stan, detailed how Islamic extremists ering “will seek new commitments have eaten away at the religious free- from like-minded governments to dom supposedly guaranteed by their structure a fund to support the work constitution. of those who defend religious free- “Religious freedom is not just dom,” Gingrich said. one more right alongside others,” said The ambassador discussed the Father Luis Navarro (Rector at State Department’s 2017 Internation- Santa Croce) in his address to the al Religious Freedom Report, which symposium, but along with the right highlighted the serious violations of to life, is on a “higher level than all religious liberty in many places other rights” according to the teach- around the world. As one example, ings of Saint John Paul II. she cited Nicolas Maduro’s socialist In his closing remarks, the Vati- dictatorship in Venezuela, which at- can’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pi- “It is a dangerous time to be a person of tacks Catholics for exposing the needs etro Parolin, called for “full respect of faith,” said U.S. Ambassador Callista L. of the suffering populace. the rule of law,” allowing natural law Gingrich (pictured above) at the one-day Over 200 million Christians to govern the lives of all persons equal symposium on religious liberty. worldwide facing “severe persecu- in dignity. 2 PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE HOLY CROSS FOUNDATION | Santa Croce | Fall 2018 INSIDE SANTA CROCE A QUESTION OF IDENTITY On May 23rd, the faculty of communications hosted Daniel Mattson, author of Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay, to give his testimony of peace found in the Christian faith in regards to homosexual orientation. Mattson’s address at Santa Croce, “How I Reclaimed Myself in My Sexual Reality and Found Peace”, oc- cured as a collaboration between the university and Courage International, which assisted Mattson to translate his book into Italian and organized a tour for him to personally give his testimony around the country. In his talk, Mattson explained Church teaching of chastity from a fi rst-person vantage point in hopes of enlightening others to the peace- giving truth. “The main focus of my book is a question of identity; ‘who am I?’. In this world where we say that feelings – especially in this realm of human sexuality – are what defi ne you, I ar- gue that feelings are not a reliable in- dicator of what is true,” said Mattson. Daniel Mattson, author of Why I Don’t Call Myself Gay: How I Reclaimed My “The truth of my identity is Sexual Reality and Found Peace (Ignatius Press, 2017) with Fr. José María La Porte, Dean of Santa Croce. that I am a son of God, I am a man, made in the image and likeness of happiness, but it is the only place on I am made for a woman. I don’t have God and there is a certain reality that earth where he will fi nd happiness.” a reproductive system, I have half a is inscribed in my body in the sexual Mattson rooted his talk in reproductive system; a woman has realm, and in order to have a life of natural law, explaining the necessity the other half... So, it makes no sense peace and fulfi llment, I need to live to guide one’s passions with virtue. to say, ‘I am born for a man,’ when in accordance with reality, and that is While feelings seem natural to the I am clearly born to have sex with a not engaging in sexual relationships person, feelings must correspond to woman; that is my nature.” with someone of the same sex.” the corporal reality of being made Mattson responded to opposi- Mattson’s message of truth in man or woman. With this, Mattson tion to chastity saying that arguments terms of homosexuality is not widely articulated the complimentary nature in favor of homosexuality have need- disseminated among today’s modern of man and woman. ed to assert homosexuality is innate culture of sex, giving greater value “There has been a long history to the person in order to support the to his written work and his travels of looking at homosexuality, and two political movement we see today. abroad to share his message. arguments have been developed: that “The commandments of God “Chastity is good news,” Matt- the homosexual person is a social con- are there to protect us. They are a son explained. “A lot of people say struct, and that homosexuality is in- guardrail from having us fall into de- [chastity] is the last place on earth nately in the person... but here is the struction and it’s in every area of hu- where a homosexual person will fi nd reality: my body shows that, sexually, man life, not just this area.” 3 UNIVERSITY NEWS Charisms of the World Conference In a recent conference hosted by foretelling this crisis of loss Santa Croce, guest and university fac- of charisms in the Church. ulty addressed the loss of charisms In his poem, Dostoevsky within the Church. articulates three fallacies The Catholic faith transcends that, according to Maspa- differences such as culture and geog- ro, mirror the three temp- raphy, and is instead a global commu- tations with which Jesus nity of diverse believers. Charisms are was presented by the devil the various gifts received from the in the desert. Christians Holy Spirit among the Church faith- today are tempted to view ful, which demonstrate the rich diver- charisms with belief in sity of God’s people.