Consecrated life in a Digital World
A message for world communication day – 16 May 2010

The Digital Communication is ushering in a New Era. The marvels of technology are made accessible to the common man. In India there was only one TV channel in 1981 but today there are about 400 channels running 24 hours. Ten year ago the mobile phones reached our land and today there are more than 500 million people connected with each other through this media, cutting across all barriers of rich and poor, men and women and even children. The internet is a huge resource for every aspect of life. The CRI has no hesitation to declare it as a right of every human being on earth to have access to such a source. It is a great opportunity for Consecrated life to use this “great resource for humanity as a whole and for every individual, and it can act as a stimulus” says the Pope.

On the occasion of the World Communication Day, Pope Benedict XVI has fervently appealed to the Christian leaders to get connected to this new continent and open our minds and hearts to the voice of Christ. “Thanks to the new communications media, the Lord can walk the streets of our cities and, stopping before the threshold of our homes and our hearts, say once more: ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me’ (Rev 3:20)”.

Going beyond exhortation what can the Religious women and men do today to catch up with the fast changing world?

1. Let every community, including formation houses, get connected with a broadband connection, which is available at a very affordable rate wherever the mobile phones work. Most men’s communities and even individuals already have this access but the women are discriminated against by the system and their own mind sets. Let us not be controlled by fear of the possible evil effects but evolve regulatory mechanisms if required and empower ourselves to be citizens of the knowledge society. The time for ignorance is over.
2. Let us learn to use the huge resources that are available on the net including very rich and easily usable catholic literature. The digital revolution is far more effective means of transformation than the development of language and printing for which the religious were in the forefront. The young generation is born into this new world and blossom in it effortlessly as natural process. The older generation has to get rid of the fears of the unknown space and migrate courageously to effect the changes to a new era.
3. The CRIB, the weekly electronic bulletin of the Religious of India brings us 9 reports on consecrated life and their mission on every Wednesday. Let these be part of our shared life and dialogue. Open www.religiousindia.org and enter your email id for regular free copies in your Inbox. Gift them generously to all those whom you know. Share you life of witness and commitment to all people of good will.

Bro. Mani Mekkunnel SG
National Secretary, CRI