The approach of Pope Benedict XVI to media and digital culture in Catholic social thought

Abstract

At a time when there has been a technological development and a renewal in the field of communication, the Church has been implementing its Social Doctrine on the media and the digital world. In his official documents, and with the theology of communication as a background, Benedict XVI has explored ethical implications of new ways of communicating. This study aims to analyse the content in which the German Pope has addressed the media and digital culture. The conclusions of the research show the thought of the Pontiff on the technological progress, the ethics of information, the impact of media today, the promotion of media education, the use of Internet and social media, and the implementation of digital technology as a vehicle for evangelisation.

Keywords

• Benedict XVI
• Christian social thought
• digital culture
• media
• technology