Wait, The Catholic Church Can Use Social Media Too?!

Let’s face it: most teens –and more than half of the adults- in America think that the Catholic Church is dry-as-dust boring. Their experience of church is being dragged by their parents to sit on a cold, hard bench for a whole 45-minutes or even –gasp! - and hour each Sunday morning to listen to an eighty year-old man say the same things over and over again. Even if they were made to read over some of the teachings of the church in that boring bible study group, it was of such lofty, confusing, or ancient language that it was all just highfalutin’ mumbo-jumbo. Thus, as soon as they graduated from their Catholic high school and began to enjoy the freedom of a state university filled with sexy classmates and no religion classes, it was adios to anything Religious.

 And let’s not forget the scandals that have rocked the Church in the past few years. Abuse, cover-ups, by-passing of teachings, you name it. It’s reached such a point to where being known to have any affiliation to the Catholic faith was a cause of shame and embarrassment. Ask anyone on the street and they will probably tell you that the Catholic Church was a passing fad meant for those who lived in the stone age, wrote with pen and ink, wore floor-length, black cotton skirts or who don’t even know what a cell phone is. It’s a thing of the past, and not for the modern world.

 THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Sure, we still have a few stuffy priests and technology-illiterate moms, but the Church is more alive, vibrant, and modern than ever before! Sound a bit ludicrous and hard to believe? Here are just a few examples of those who have used the modern media to change the face of the church, and the world:

Such a boss

 • Bishop Fulton J. Sheen: Hailed by many as the father of evangelization using the modern means of communication, Sheen started off using radio broadcasts to spread the faith, eventually gaining fame as one of the most recognizable religious figures in the country. In time, he moved to television, with his still-popular Life is Worth Living series, which drew up to 30 million people on a weekly basis. His dynamic, unscripted messages still continue to cut through the slop of the worldly mortality like a knife.

Read his blog.
You'll be a cool
hipster Catholic, too. 

·        EWTN: Undoubtedly the leading religious network in the world, the Eternal Word Television Network has brought the message of truth to more people in the last few decades than almost any other medium. Founded by in a garage by a penniless nun with a boatload of faith, the station features programs for all ages and levels of faith: from infants to the elderly, from the RCIA student to the theological doctorate. 

·         Marc Barnes: Known to those in the blogosphere and the Catholic online community as the author of the BadCatholic blog, Marc, a junior at Franciscan University of Steubenville, writes with a no-nonsense, intensely Catholic B.A. attitude. He delivers the faith to the new generation in a crazily relevant way that to deny the truth in his posts is to show yourself to be a proper fool. 

·         Pope Francis: Pope Francis. On twitter. ‘Nuff said. 

The use of new media in the church isn't just being used by those that have great theological degrees, nor have ages of wisdom engrained into their very souls. The teens of today are the ones who need the most reaching by the truth, and some of their fellow young adults have recognized this pressing need:

Catholics can have cool logos, too!

·         New Catholic Generation: This group of Catholic Teen YouTubers from all over the world (Including Franciscan University student Renee Shumay and Orlando, Florida resident Joseph Palmer (yes, this is a shameless plug for some of my NCG friends)) spread the faith in ways that teens will understand and connect with. 

·         Jonathan Culbreath: For those teens with a philosophical bent, this Thomas Aquinas College freshman’s blog is packed to the brim with Aristotle, Augustine and Thomas-ish musings. Keep an eye on this guy, he’ll go far.

Catholics also use new media to spread other vital teachings of the church, especially the Pro-Life message... 

·        Live Action: Few prolife organizations have gained such respect and admiration as this group of young adults, headed by Lila Rose, that go undercover at abortion facilities and post their footage on YouTube. As a result, many mill workers have quit their jobs and whole clinics have come under official government review and have been shut down. 

·        40 Days For Life: Founded in 2004 by Shawn and Marilisa Carney, the 40 Days for Life campaign has grown from a one-time, local event in Texas, to one of the biggest pro-life events in the country through the use of the internet. At various times of the year, and especially around the Lenten season, those on facebook (and off…for those grandparents out there) rise up and for forty days post messages, pray, fast, peacefully demonstrate for the pro-life cause. No other organization has been able to unite people of all faiths from all around the world more effectively than the 40 Days campaign, and it has the miracle of social media to thank for that.

…and the message of chastity: 

• Jackie and Bobbie Angel
• Lifeteen

All of these organizations are vibrant and alive, relevant and cool, engaging and thought-provoking. As I've said, the Church is more alive now than it ever was before, just as some famous guy once remarked:

It is gratifying to note the emergence of new

digital networks that seek to promote human

solidarity, peace and justice, human rights

and respect for human life and the good of 

creation. These networks can facilitate forms of 

co-operation between people from different

geographical and cultural contexts that enable

them to deepen thier common humanity and their

shared responsibility for the good of all. 

~ Benedict XVI,

                                                   message for the 43rd World Communications Day

The question I will leave with you is: 

HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED? HOW CAN I JOIN THIS REVOLUTION TO TAKE BACK THE MEDIA AND USE IT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD? 

Be fearless.