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PODPREACHERS-CIVILTA Nov-8-2005 (320 words) xxxi
Podcasting could be important pastoral tool, says Jesuit magazine
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- Podcasting, already a popular innovation at Vatican Radio, offers an important new way for pastors to reach contemporary Christians through their digital jukeboxes, an influential Jesuit magazine said.
The church should not pass up the opportunity to make liturgies and prayers available via podcast, as well as downloadable sermons by "podpreachers," said the magazine, La Civilta Cattolica, in its Nov. 5 issue.
Podcasting allows individuals to download audio or video files from the Internet to their iPod or other digital device, for listening or viewing at a later time. Users can subscribe to podcasts and have episodes delivered automatically to their computer and digital player.
The popularity of podcasting has generated a subcategory called "Godcasting," which refers to efforts by churches, preachers and religious media to tap into the digital communications boom.
Experts have called podcasting the next generation of radio, so it was no surprise that Vatican Radio began offering podcasting in July, the Jesuit magazine said. The response was overwhelming, it said; the highest number of downloads so far has been for Pope Benedict XVI's interview with the radio in August.
The Jesuit journal said podcasting should be examined with "extreme attention" by church communicators and seems to offer a real pastoral opportunity.
For example, it said, liturgies can be podcast for those unable to attend Mass, and sermons can be routinely routed to subscribers for later listening. Daily prayer podcasts can also be tastefully created and made available, it said.
The magazine said the church has a responsibility to use tools like podcasting in a creative way, as a means to fulfill its mission.
Quoting from a 2002 document of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, it said that "hanging back timidly from fear of technology or for some other reason is not acceptable, in view of the very many positive possibilities of the Internet."
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Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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