FALL 2017 • Volume 10 • Issue 3 WHY A SCHOOL OF CHURCH COMMUNICATIONS? Santa Croce was launched in 1984, but did not attain the status of being a Pontifi cal University un- til it added the School of Church Communications in 1996. One of the requirements of being a Pon- tifi cal University is to offer four degree programs. The fi rst three schools were Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law. Why was Church Communications chosen as the fourth school? One reason can be traced to the infl uence of the Opus Dei founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá. Nearly 60 years ago, as the fi rst Chancellor of 2017 graduates with a licentiate from the School of Church the University of Navarra in Spain, Communications. Countries represented include Nicaragua, Columbia, he asked for a journalism program Brazil, Mexico, Ivory Coast, India, Ukraine, Malta, South Africa, Venezuela, to be created. The university web- Dominican Republic, Great Britain, Romania, and Poland. site states that the program refl ected the saint’s found- Joaquín Navarro-Valls, “encouraged the Church ing charism: “a tradition in the hu- Communications School from the beginning.” (for manities combined with technologi- more see Navarro-Valls article on page 4) cal innovation; teaching based on Fr. Laporte explained that a degree in Church both research and on contact with Communications is built upon four pillars: 1) a clear reality; raising the profi le of media- understanding of the Church’s identity, 2) the context related professions through theoreti- or cultural environment in which a communicator cal and practical research; ongoing works, 3) the types of communication, such as public relations with the professional and opinion, radio, and television, and 4) how to manage academic world alike, and close con- a communications department or offi ce. tact between students and alumni.” While there are a handful of universities who A second reason was the infl u- offer a communications degree, they are generally ence of St. John Paul II, who emerged aimed at pastoral or vocational communications. as the fi rst “media” pope in a time Thus, Santa Croce’s program is unique. when communications technology There are currently about 120 students en- (television and computers) were rap- rolled in Church Communications – 80% of them idly expanding. Also, according to are priests and religious. The majority are working Communication Fr. José María La Porte, Dean of the on their licentiate degrees, while about 20 are in the students learn to use School of Church Communications, doctoral program. Graduates frequently return to the radio and television the Pope’s long-time Director of the dioceses of their home country to serve their bishops equipment. Holy See Press Offi ce (1984-1996), in effectively communicating the Church’s message INSIDE SANTA CROCE to the faithful as well as the general COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH public. Fr. LaPorte says the role of this kind of communications expert is “to PROJECTS AND CONFERENCES make the bishop close to the people Center of Research into diocesan communication bureaus, and the people close to the bishop.” the Relationship between non-profi ts, bishops conferences, and Family and Mass Media journalists dealing with religious in- This international group studies the formation. infl uence of social media on the fam- Poetics and Christianity ily in two ways: fi rst, how the family Addressed to academics and artists is presented in the media (fi ctional from different fi elds, the aim is to portrayals and news) and second, identify in the life of art a source of how institutions that promote the light in which they can implement family can present a better public im- their own discipline and expertise. age of the family. “The Church Up Close” Rhetoric and Anthropology Addressed to journalists around the Rhetoric is a multi-dimensional dis- world who cover the Roman Catho- cipline which includes theory and lic Church, this seminar gives jour- practice, logic, and linguistics. It nalists an array of tools to strengthen must also examine the attitudes and their coverage about the Pope, the intentions of the speaker and receiver. Vatican and faith in general. This center seeks to fi nd the balance News Issues on the of these elements in what it means to Catholic Church be authentically human. 2017 marks the 7th year for this Fr. José María La Porte, The Church and the Media course of eleven 2-hour sessions held Dean of the School of Church Santa Croce Communications pro- on Fridays between March and June. Communication fessors investigate the relationships Organized by ISCOM Association Licentiate degrees (similar to a between the Church and the media, and the PUHC communications fac- Master’s degree in the U.S.) require especially the journalistic coverage of ulty, this year’s topics included the writing and defending a thesis as well faith and values. reorganization of the Curia, ecologi- as passing a comprehensive exam. Professional International cal themes of Laudato Si, the relation Doctorates in Church Communica- Seminar between a global economy and a soli- tions likewise require writing and de- Church communications profession- darity economy, and how the Church fending a thesis under the supervision als gather every other year to discuss manages money. and accompanied by a faculty advisor. issues of importance to directors of Considering the fast-paced spread of information and misinfor- “I love studying communications at mation in today’s media-saturated Santa Croce. To help me integrate into society, it is extremely important for our fi eld, the communications faculty the worldwide Church to have me- sent me to the USA for a month-long dia professionals who understand the internship at the Catholic TV Station theological and philosophical basis of EWTN in Alabama. I learned so much Church teachings and can communi- there! Santa Croce is not only concerned cate them faithfully. with our education, but also with our With its degree programs and spiritual growth. I would say that my special study centers and conferences, dreams are complete, just being here Santa Croce provides an essential ser- and seeing the beautiful roots of Fr. Nicholas Kaliminwa, vice for the needs of local dioceses and Christianity. Archdiocese of Kasama religious news organizations around — Fr. Nicholas Kaliminwa, Zambia (Zambia, Africa) the world. 2 PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE HOLY CROSS FOUNDATION | Santa Croce | Fall 2017 INSIDE SANTA CROCE Dostoevsky: Living the Mystery informative and inspirational, as it highlighted Dostoevsky as an author who communicated God’s message of hope. Father Joshan Rodrigues, a student from Bombay, currently in his second year of Communications studies, was moved by the Confer- ence, and shared: “it helped me to give words and structure to some emo- tions which I felt deeply while read- ing Dostoevsky’s works, but which I was unable to describe with words.” He learned how relevant Dostoevsky is for our times and social context, “The Other’s Gaze: Emotion and Relation in The Brothers Karamazov,” Prof. that “in our current world where na- Federica Bergamino, Pontifi cal University of the Holy Cross, Rome. ture and absolute principles are made The Pontifi cal University of the fruitfulness of an author who gained a subservient to the individual and his Holy Cross’s Department of Institu- relationship with God and who want- aspirations, Dostoevsky shows us that tional Communications had the plea- ed to share this relationship with the we can start with the individual, but sure of offering the seventh interna- world,” said Bergamino. Her goal for that his destiny is always the Divine, tional Poetry and Christianity the event was that students would and without that destination our conference in a two-day event entitled delve deeper into and leave with a journey on earth has no meaning.” “Dostoevsky: Living the Mystery”, clearer idea of what this author intend- which took place at the University on ed to communicate with his writings. April 27th and 28th, 2017. The con- “Reading and studying Dosto- ference featured talks, video presenta- evsky,” she explained, “is to enter into tions and a roundtable discussion, the deepest and most hidden dimen- providing students, professors, and sions of humanity; Dostoevsky reveals other participants, an in-depth look to mankind the traps and mecha- at this great Christian author and the nisms in which man becomes more infl uence his work has had on our or less aware, and Dostoevsky places world. Twenty speakers were present, the reader into the very conditions some even coming from as far as Lon- that make him realize those choices don, Berlin and Moscow, to expand that can damage his life. This offers on the theme. him the opportunity to become bet- “Dostoevsky in Contemporary Film,” The event was orchestrated by ter and to experience Christ through Dr. José García, Film Critic, Berlin. Dr. Federica Bergamino, a literature human mediation. The purpose of professor in the Communications De- this Conference was to show how this The Conference concluded on partment, who was the President of author can help the modern day man Friday at 6 PM with a roundtable the Conference and brought together to escape from a culture of shame, in discussion, which gave students the experts from around the world to which the outer world – exteriority opportunity to ask questions and speak on this author and his relevance and performance – prevails, and to ar- exchange ideas. Like previous Poetry in our Christian world today, especial- rive to a culture in which man returns and Christianity Conferences, these ly for future Church communicators. to being in contact with himself, with two days gave students of Santa Croce “The Conference had a strong impact his interior life and deepest desire.” a new opportunity of seeing how lit- on the University because it brought Student participants from the erature and art are inspiration for re- together philosophers, scholars, theo- Faculty of Communications found fl ections on God from various disci- logians and artists, to refl ect on the the Conference to be particularly plinary perspectives.