Editorial

EWTN and the secular media: fighting fire with fire

Contents - Nov 2006 - Buy a copy now Editorial: EWTN and the secular media: fighting fire with fire Education: The Spirit of Generation Y: the challenge for Catholic schools - Cardinal George Pell Living the Faith: What distinguishes a practising Catholic? - Bishop Luc Matthys News: The Church Around the World England: British Catholicism's dark night of the soul Books: Is the Catholic Church in Australia 'lost'? - Michael Gilchrist Brisbane Archdiocese: inclusive language in the liturgy continues - Michael Apthorp Liturgy: US bishop sets out clear guidelines on celebrations of the Mass - AD2000 REPORT Television: EWTN: now affordable and accessible in Australia - Moira Kirkwood Letters: Missal translation - Pat Hurley Letters: Translation hang-up - Fran Swindale Letters: Accuracy needed - Carol V. Phillips Letters: Faith and reason - Peter D. Howard Letters: Narrow - Norm Yodgee Letters: Infallible teaching - Don Ford Letters: Education needed - Judy O'Reilly Letters: Early baptism - John Schmid Letters: Declining practice - Gerard J. Keane Letters: Chavagnes College scholarship applications - Ferdi McDermott Letters: Conversion by violence - Gregory F.J. O'Regan Letters: Generation 'Y' - Kevin Cains Letters: Common sense and married clergy - Errol Duke Letters: Poem's author - Valerie J.Staunton Letters: Anonymity - Michael Apthorp Letters: EWTN by broadband - Bren Scheiner Poetry: Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954 to 2005, by Bruce Dawe - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: St John Bosco, St Dominic and the Rosary, St Thérèe of Lisieux - Siobhan B. Reeves (reviewer) DVD: A Family Retreat, by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen - Daniel Tobin (reviewer) Events: The teachings of the Catholic Church: an exploration Events: Second Annual Victorian Catholic Students Association Conference 25-26 Nov 2006 Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Catholic schools must proclaim the total love of Christ - Fr Sebastian Camilleri OFM

A major factor in the secularising of most of Australia's Catholics has been the mass media. The Church's means of communication are a drop in the ocean in comparison given the massive outreach of the nation's TV, radio, magazines and newspapers.

Weakened family life, inadequate religion teaching in Catholic schools and widespread confusion (even among some priests) as to what constitutes the essence of the faith have contributed to the swelling ranks of the unchurched, a situation aggravated by the mass media's generally un- or anti- Christian output.

Even the best of Catholic families and schools face an uphill battle as day after day false, coarse, nihilistic messages bombard the young ever more blatantly via popular music, advertising, fashions, movies, Internet, computer games and even news and current affairs programs.

If the media can frequently become a vehicle for moral and spiritual decay, it can also be a source of good, and nowhere more so than in the amazing emergence of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) since the 1980s.

Many informed Catholics have longed for the day when EWTN would be conveniently and inexpensively available in Australia. Now, as recent reports in this journal have indicated, this day has arrived.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of several dedicated individuals (see page 12) it is now possible for any Catholic family to connect to EWTN for relatively little cost and so provide a potent antidote to the poison emanating from much of the secular media.

And in dioceses where the Catholic faith lacks a clear or adequate presentation, EWTN offers an array of programs that provide a comprehensive coverage of authentic Catholicism for all age groups.

Michael Gilchrist: Editor (email - mtg@netconnect.com.au)

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 19 No 10 (November 2006), p. 2