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How to Cover the Catholic Church
Pontifical Council for Culture
Pope John Paul II founded the culture council in 1982, but its roots go back
to the Second Vatican Council’s
Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the
Modern World
,
Gaudium et Spes
. The council promotes the Gospel’s engage-
ment with contemporary cultures, examines the rift between the Gospel and
various cultural milieus, encourages the study of unbelief and religious indif-
ference and engages in dialogue with non-believers. Pope Benedict XVI has
made the challenge of secularism a hallmark of his papacy and has cast dia-
logue with Islam and other religions as a dialogue of cultures and civilizations
in cooperation against secular society. The council has long worked closely
with the interreligious dialogue office, at times overseeing it. Recent confer-
ences sponsored by the council in Rome and around the world have included
“The Presence and Absence of Christians in Art” and “20th Century Literature
and Catholicism.” In addition the council manages the pontifical academies.
The pontifical academies you’ll most likely need to keep in mind are the
Academy of Sciences
, the
Academy of Social Sciences
, and the
Academy
for Life
. Each is nonsectarian and, although associated with the Vatican, oper-
ates autonomously. Each academy is made up of a small central office and
dozens of members, all named to their positions by the pope. Most are univer-
sity professors, of whom several are American. You can find a list of members
in the
Annuario
.
The council president is Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. The secretary is
Bishop Carlos Alberto de Pinho Moreira Azevedo. 06-6989-3811. E-mail
cultura@cultura.va .The president of the Academy of Sciences is Werner Arber. Phone
06-6988-3195. E-mail
academy.sciences@acdscience.va .The presidency of the Academy of Social Sciences is Margaret S. Archer.
Phone 06-6988-1441. E-mail
social.sciences@acdscience.va .The president of the Academy for Life is Bishop Ignacio Carrasco de
Paula. Phone 06-6988-1693. E-mail
pav@acdlife.va . The Web address is
www.academiavita.org .Pontifical Council for Social Communications
This council does more than just grant accreditation to broadcast journalists
as described earlier. It also organizes World Communications Day, supports
media with a distinct Catholic identity and presents an annual film prize at
the Venice Film Festival. It has issued documents promoting ethical standards