Rapid technological changes, which are mainly the result of the progress in computer technology, in the last decades of the twentieth century, have touched every area of life and have enforced numerous innovations. Modern ways of communication and exchange of information, especially the development of social media, have led to a significant and complex transformation of the traditional media. Practically all media companies around the world, in order to maintain their position on the market, have had to make decisive modifications of their ways of working. On one hand they remained available to the users of traditional media, but on the other hand, they look for effective ways of reaching all those who are using only new ways. Similarly, the Vatican media could not remain indifferent to the issues mentioned above. For several years the Vatican has initiated a process of preparation for a general reform of its media institutions. However, these works have accelerated at a great rate during the pontificate of Pope Francis.The reform of the Vatican media is not an easy task. It concerns several independent institutions. Each one of them has their own history and way of announcing the Gospel. The widespread computerization, especially the development of the internet and social media, has also forced the Vatican to reflect on new ways of communicating. Among many questions, the most important were about the effectiveness of evangelization through the media, the ways of spreading the Pope’s message around the world to as many faithful as possible, and about the costs of necessary investments that would allow further, dynamic development and effective functioning of the Vatican media.After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, the problems of the reform of the Roman Curia and the necessary savings were raised again during the discussions of the cardinals on the congregations preceding conclave. It became clear that the structural changes in the Vatican would be one of the challenges which would face the next successor of St. Peter. As from the very start of his pontificate, Pope Francis emphasized the necessity of the deep reform of the Roman Curia. The evaluation of the entire media structure of the Vatican was one of the first reforms to be tackled.The reform of the Vatican media has already begun. In the Apostolic Letter as a Motu Proprio, published on June 27, 2015, Francis set up the new Vatican dicastery: The Secretariat for Communication. The plan of changes in the Vatican media prepares for the possibility of any difficulties and turbulences. A four‑year restructuring process was planned. The year 2015 was dedicated to the creation, elaboration and consolidation of the new Vatican media structure. And it really happened. During the next year, 2016, a common administration for the two major institutions which depended on the new dicastery: the Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center, was established. During the year 2017 a similar restructuring process is expected in the next four Vatican media institutions: the Vatican Printing Press, the Photo Service, “L’Osservatore Romano” and the Vatican Publishing House. The process of restructuring of the Vatican media is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Many details of these changes are raising many questions and concerns, especially among the employees of existing media entities. However, the real questions concern the effectiveness of the new system.
The article analyzes the first papal radio message transmitted on February 12, 1931. A particular attention was paid to the understanding of the media message presented there as addressed to everyone, and therefore having a character not only global, but universal. According to Pope Pius XI this universality means also addressing to God (in the act of praise and thanksgiving). It is a fact that this conception seems to be not particularly noticed – is God. The context of the first Pope’s radio message, the image of God shown by Pope Pius XI, including God’s beneficial relationships with other recipients of the message was discussed. The first Pope’s radio message of Pius XI from 1931 contains indications that can help better understand and fully utilize the great, even growing media’s possibilities nowadays and in the future.
PL
Artykuł analizuje pierwsze papieskie orędzie radiowe wygłoszone 12 lutego 1931 roku przez Piusa XI. Szczególnie zwrócono uwagę na przedstawione tam rozumienie przekazu medialnego jako skierowanego do wszystkich, a więc posiadającego charakter nie tylko globalny, ale powszechny, także w tym znaczeniu, że papież zwraca się w nim również do Boga (w akcie uwielbienia i dziękczynienia). Jest to fakt, na który, jak się wydaje, niezbyt zwraca się uwagę. Omówiono kontekst powstania pierwszego papieskiego orędzia radiowego, obraz Boga ukazany przez papieża Piusa XI, w tym dobroczynne związki Boga z innymi odbiorcami przekazu. Pierwsze papieskie orędzie radiowe Piusa XI z 1931 roku zawiera wskazania, których uwzględnienie pomaga znacznie lepiej zrozumieć i coraz pełniej wykorzystać wielkie, nawet rosnące możliwości mediów współcześnie i w przyszłości.
Vatican Radio (RW) is tasked with providing information about the activities of the Pope and the Holy See, as well as the situations of Churches worldwide. The Polish Section of the Vatican Radio (SPRW) implemented these tasks, and among the many topics and information presented on the RW waves it also commented on issues related to State-Church relations in Poland. The aim of the article is to look in more detail, among others, on whether and how the SPRW presented the PRL state-Church relations during the period of 1957–1979. While presenting this topic, in the 60s, the SPRW usually drew from the opinions of the western press and foreign press agencies, and in the 70s primarily from the communications of the Polish Episcopacy Conferences. The SPRW informed its listeners about the most important issues affecting State-Church relations - among others, about the lack of religious freedom in PRL, persecution of the clergy, lack of permission for sacral buildings, efforts made by the Church for allowing it freedom in its actions and respecting human rights and the rights of Polish citizens by the PRL government. The SPRW defended the Polish clergy. Additionally, for the Polish people, the SPRW was the main source of uncensored information about the situation of the Church; not only worldwide, but primarily in Poland. The SPRW aired a series of educational programmes to counteract the attempts of secularisation of the society by the Communist government. The election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope contributed to the growth of the role of the Church in Poland, and made the SPRW face new challenges. It had its unparalleled contribution in accompanying the Pope during his pilgrimages and providing Polish listeners with the latest information not presented in the state media.
Artykuł dotyczy listu Stefana Kardynała Wyszyńskiego do Czechów i Słowaków, przesłanego z okazji obchodów tysiąclecia chrześcijaństwa w Polsce w 1965 r. Jest to krótki list napisany w otwartej atmosferze zakończenia Soboru Watykańskiego II. Chociaż list ten nie był tak niezwykły, jak przesłanie skierowane do narodu niemieckiego, to w kontekście sytuacji braku wolności w Polsce i Czechosłowacji był wyrazem przyłączenia się, zachęcenia i afirmacji Czechów i Słowaków, że należą do wspólnej rodziny chrześcijańskich narodów Europy Środkowej, że ich kultura wyrasta ze wspólnych chrześcijańskich tradycji. Był zachętą w czasie prześladowań i ucisku dla ówczesnego Kościoła czeskiego. Świadomość tej tożsamości narodów może być szczytem i przypomnieniem korzeni całej Unii Europejskiej również dzisiaj.
EN
The aim of the article is the letter of Stephan Cardinal Wyszyński addressed to the Czechs and the Slovaks people and sent on the occasion of the celebration of a thousand years of Christianity in Poland in 1965. This letter is matter of interest, a short one, written in the open atmosphere at the end of the II Vatican Council. Although this letter was not so extraordinary as the message sent to the German nation, it was in the context of the situation of non-freedom in Poland and Czechoslovakia; it was an expression of joining, encouraging and affirming of the belonging of the Czechs and Slovaks to the common family of Christian nations of Central Europe, those culture grows from common Christian traditions. For the Czech Church, it was an incitement at the time of persecution and oppression. Awareness of this analogous identity of our nations can be an apex and a reminder of the roots of the whole of the European Union even today.
The process of restructuring the Vatican media has continued for several years. The Secretariat for Communication has initiated changes in the structures and programs of all media entities that have operated in the Vatican. The reform radically changes the media strategy of the Holy See. One of the challenges is the missionary function of the Vatican media, so far carried out by Vatican Radio in a very effective way. A brief presentation of the reform shows the ideas guiding this transformation. The most important factor is the openness of today’s world to the Internet and social media. However, it seems that new technologies are not always fully suitable for the “missionary world”, especially in many places in Africa. For this reason it seems important to find a new efficient way of proceeding. Retaining these, Vatican Radio should continue to be a very significant factor in the missionary activities of the Church.
PL
Da diversi anni è in atto un processo di ristrutturazione dei media vaticani. La Segreteria per la Comunicazione ha iniziato dei radicali cambiamenti delle strutture e dei programmi di tutte le entità di media che operano in Vaticano, attuando nuove strategie. Una delle sfide che continua ad essere molto viva è la funzione missionaria dei media vaticani, finora svolta dalla Radio Vaticana in modo molto efficace.Una breve presentazione della riforma mostra le idee della trasformazione in atto. Il punto cruciale è l’apertura ad Internet e ai social media. Infatti, le nuove tecnologie non sempre sono accessibili al «mondo missionario», soprattutto a paesi dell’Africa lontani dalle grandi città. La Radio Vaticana deve trovare una buona risposta alle esigenze di tutti per continuare ad essere un mezzo apostolico missionario significativo.
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