Internet and digital technology, the new frontiers of evangelisation from Indonesia
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - In Indonesia, the mission's new frontier mission is to evangelise through modern media and information technologies (IT) BY making them available to the priests. Through new IT channels, personal stories of faith and conversion can contribute to spreading the Word of God
Indeed, some dioceses like Purwokerto (central Java), Semarang and Jakarta are already doing this through programmes designed to promote the use of the Internet, TV and newspapers.
Against the backdrop, the Diocese of Purwokerto recently organised a three-day meeting for new priests, inviting communication experts, as well as journalists from Indonesian online Catholic portal sesawi.net and international news agency AsiaNews.
Constant training for priests and upgrading their skills are among the priorities identified by the diocese, which is located in Central Java. For this reason, every year it organises meetings and seminars for priests with less than five years of experience.
In addition to upgrading and following the priests in their progress, the Catholic leadership in Purwokerto also wants to combine new digital media to evangelisation.
For this reason, Hening Griya Retreat House, in Baturaden district, hosted a three-day meeting on "How to spread the Good News to a wider audience through digital gadgets," which was attended by 17 young priests. Participant response was "very positive" and helped in the "spiritual renewal of the mission."
In particular, participating priests understood the value of testimonials and first-person accounts of stories of faith, mission and conversion, which they can pass on through the media to a wider audience of believers.
Hence, the AsiaNews correspondent noted that the use of new media is "undoubtedly more effective, fast, cheap and potentially limitless."
Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million, or 3 per cent of the population. In the Archdiocese of Jakarta, the faithful reach 3.6 per cent of the population.
Although the country's constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse, especially in areas where extremist visions of Islam are entrenched, like Aceh.
Still, Catholics are an active component in society and contribute to the nation's development as well as to emergency operations when they arise, as was the case in last January's devastating flood.
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