Visuomenės komunikavimo sampratos pateikimo skirtumai ir pagrindiniai elementai Katalikų Bažnyčios dokumentuose Inter mirifica, Communio et progressio ir Aetatis novae

Abstract

The article seeks to discuss the differences of the conception of social communication in the documents of Catholic Church Inter Mirifica, Communio et Progressio and Aetatis Novae and to disclose the focal elements of the conception of social communication on the basis of these documents. The authors conclude that the document Inter Mirifica does not have the doctrinal part and deals only with means of social communication. The longest and most detailed document on social communication – the pastoral instruction Communio et Progressio – takes a global approach insisting that the primary aim of social communication is the unity of all humankind. The document grounds the theological conception on social communications in the doctrines of Trinity, Creation and Incarnation. Therefore, from those doctrines the authors of the article derive major doctrinal elements of the conception of social communication. Compared to the two previous documents the pastoral instruction Aetatis Novae is narrower in scope and says that social communication is essentially a communication of the Good News of Jesus Christ. In some matters Aetatis Novae goes further than the previous documents: insisting on urgency of pastoral planning for Catholic social communication in each diocese or region and affirming that mass media by no means detract from the importance of alternative media. The analysed documents as a whole reveal the conception of social communication, but in separate documents it is provided emphasizing different aspects; therefore, it does not precisely identify the meaning of social communication, its importance in the Church’s mission and needs further explicit development of the theology of social communication. Summarising conclusion: the issue needs more attention of both – the official Catholic Church ant the local Catholic Church community to show the doctrinal part of the communication theology.