Mrs Marita Winters
Director of Catholic Communications Archdiocese of Sydney
President of the Australasian Catholic Press Association
(Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific)
media@sydney.catholic.org.au
The Exhortation which followed the Synod of Oceania, Ecclesia in Oceania (2001) expressed the central concern of the region being to find appropriate ways of presenting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour to the people of today.
Australia is the largest country of Oceania in both size and population. While the Aboriginal peoples inhabited the land for thousands of years, it was discovered and colonized by Europeans who named it the Southern Land of the Holy Spirit (Terra Australis de Spiritu Sancto). Australia is now very Western in its cultural patterns and social structure.
During the Synod of Oceania, many Synod Fathers voiced concern about the public standing of the Christian faith in the region, noting that it exerts less influence on policies regarding the common good, public morality and the administration of justice, the status of marriage and family, or the right to life itself. The voice of the Church is less influential in public life than it once was.
The Church understands her mission is to tell the world the truth of God revealed in Jesus Christ. In modern times, this can be achieved through the mass media.
A favourite of the Australian media is Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney. He speaks clearly and directly on matters of concern to the Church. Yet what of other bishops and expert lay people? When dealing with the media, who speaks for the Church?
This paper will consider how the Church in Oceania seeks to evangelise through the media by telling the good news with consistent and loud voices.
