New book on evolution of Vatican communication premieres
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
A new book by a Vatican communications' veteran describes the Holy See's transformation in the world of media from the Second Vatican Council to the present.
Angelo Scelzo's volume in Italian, 'From the Council to the Web. Vatican Communication and the Turning Point of Reform' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana-LEV, pp. 440, euro 20), hit the bookshelves bookstores a few days ago and was presented the evening of June 13 in Rome at LUMSA university, a few steps from the Vatican. Participating at the presentation were the Vatican's current communications prefect, Paolo Ruffini, the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, and Vatican media veteran, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi.
Angelo Scelzo, married, with two children, was until 2016 deputy director of the Holy See Press Office. He previously held other positions in Vatican communications. He served as deputy director of L'Osservatore Romano, head of communications for the Great Jubilee of the Year Two Thousand and undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
He has published for Libreria Editrice Vaticana a series of biographies on saints and Church figures. The Pen of Peter (2013) and The Jubilee, Mercy, Francis (2015) were the last two titles published, also for LEV.
Focus on Vatican Communication
Scelzo's book is presented as a wide-ranging and articulate examination of the reform of Vatican communication, with the ever-increasing use of social media. He describes the transformation that has taken place in recent years and the major challenges facing the Holy See's way of communicating.
The author traces the various significant stages of this journey from the communication outreach of the Second Vatican Council to the pontificate of Pope Francis.
In his preface, Fr. Lombardi notes the importance of retracing history and emphasizes that "the reform, even with its courageous aspects of discontinuity, in a longer perspective is also a step in a history that remains ongoing, in which continuity is guaranteed by fidelity to the mission of the Church of which communication is an integral part."
Experts discuss volume
Those offering greetings and presenting the work included: Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Holy See's Dicastery for Communication, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops' Conference; Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, president of the Vatican Foundation "Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI"; Marco Tarquinio columnist of Avvenire and Gabriele Romagnoli columnist of La Repubblica; and Francesco Bonini, rector of the LUMSA University.
The presentation was moderated by Valentina Alazraki, Rome correspondent for Televisa, a Mexican television station.
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