pope francis warns of freedom of communication and right to information: MONSIGNOR DARIO VIGANÒ and journalist MARCELLO SORGI discuss new media’s role and limits at sANT’ANNA school on Thursday, march 12, 2020
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Two of the most influencial communicators in Italy, Marcello Sorgi, a former director of Tg1 News TV channel and La Stampa, and Dario Edoardo Viganò, vice chancellor of the Pontificial Academy of Sciences will focus on “L’informazione come diritto e come libertà: l’esperienza della Chiesa cattolica con Papa Francesco – The freedom of communication in the catholic Church during the Pontificate of Pope Francis” on March 12, 2020 at Sant’Anna School aula 3, 11.00 am. Pierluigi Consorti, Professor of Canon Law at the University of Pisa, moderates the focus group discussion.
Emanuele Rossi, Professor of Constitutional Law at Sant’Anna School Dirpolis Institute (Law, Politics and Development) organized the workshop. Rossi highlighted that the panel discussion will reflect on the role of the Catholic Church in providing a Christian perspective on the freedom of expression. As a former prefect of the Vatican’s communications office, Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò called for a reform in the media during the pontificate of Pope Francis “who emphasized the need for changes of communication structure towards a unified integration and management.”
Sorgi and Viganò will discuss the media and social media as tools for building community. As Pope Francis said "Communication is a means of expressing the missionary vocation of the entire Church; today the social networks should encourage respect, dialogue, and honest relationships. In the area of communications too, we need a Church capable of bringing warmth and of stirring hearts" (Pope Francis' Message for the 48th World Communications Day ).
Approaching social media as a powerful means of evangelization requiringclarity, a common language,accountability and responsibility is recommended by the Vatican in cooperation with theUCSI -Unione Cattolica Stampa Italiana and the Servizio Cultura e Università della Diocesi di Pisa.
Professor Rossi also highlighted that all EU Member States enjoy specific legislation on the media sector, stipulated either in the Constitution or in ordinary laws. As EU countries have embraced democratic norms, information is made publicly available and the government must ensure that information is disseminated among the public (active duty) and assure access to requested documents (passive duty), while citizens are entitled to receive the information.
He concluded that: “Pope Francis reminded us that the media (and the social media) world is a vital place of meeting and encounter which offers a unique opportunity to share our Catholic faith more widely. I am sure that this meeting with journalist Marcello Sorgi and Monsignor Viganò, who is currently serving as a Faculty member in university Lateranense and LUISS "Guido Carli”, represents a great and thrilling challenge to our students too.”
Cove Photo: Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò
