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POPE-COMMUNICATIONS Jan-24-2007 (440 words) xxxi
Papal message urges media to protect children from harmful programs
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Media professionals, prior to offering violent or sexually explicit films, cartoons and video games as entertainment for children or teens, should ask themselves how young victims of abuse and exploitation would view such products, Pope Benedict XVI said.
In his message for World Communications Day, which will be celebrated May 20 in most countries, the pope called for cooperation among media, parents, schools and parishes to protect children from harmful programming and to educate them in choosing their entertainment wisely.
"Beauty, a kind of mirror of the divine, inspires and vivifies young hearts and minds, while ugliness and coarseness have a depressing impact on attitudes and behavior," said the message, released Jan. 24 at the Vatican.
The pope chose "Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education" as the theme for the 2007 celebration.
The theme, Pope Benedict said, is important because of the growing influence of the media over people around the world, and especially over children, in some cases maybe even rivaling the influence of the school, the church and the home.
While acknowledging that most media professionals try to do what is right, he said they often are forced to compromise because of financial pressures.
"Any trend to produce programs and products -- including animated films and video games -- which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behavior or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion," he said.
"How could one explain this 'entertainment' to the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse?" Pope Benedict asked.
In choosing what children will watch or listen to, the pope encouraged a mainly positive approach.
"Children exposed to what is aesthetically and morally excellent are helped to develop appreciation, prudence and the skills of discernment," he said.
The example of what parents watch and listen to, and access to children's classics in literature, fine arts and music, will help young people learn to enjoy and prefer what is beautiful, he said.
"So often freedom is presented as a relentless search for pleasure or new experiences," the pope wrote. "Yet this is a condemnation, not a liberation!"
"True freedom could never condemn the individual -- especially a child -- to an insatiable quest for novelty," he said.
The pope called on the media "to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human rights and promote respect for the needs of the family."
- - -
Editors: The complete text of the pope's message in English can be found online at: http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/19598.php?index=19598&lang=it#TESTO%20ORIGINALE%20IN%20LINGUA%20INGLESE.
END
Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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