For the past two years, Father Tim Smith, from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has been studying the Church’s canon law in relation to social communication. Father Smith is currently working at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center in St. Paul for the summer.
“It’s the law that’s enforced for our whole universal Roman Catholic Church,” Father Smith told “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley during an interview debuting on Relevant Radio 1130 AM at 9 p.m. Aug. 9. “It covers all the major areas of ministry as well as the governing and functioning of the Church. As some canonists have relayed, it’s kind of like the wiring and the plumbing inside of a building.”
Father Smith explained that the advent of the internet provides an opportunity to spread the Gospel. Father Smith was a volunteer with Real Presence Radio Network, based in Fargo, North Dakota. While there, Father Smith was captivated by the important work of ministry that can be done through radio, television and the internet.
“All these different ways communicate the good news of Jesus,” Father Smith said.
Father Smith explained that Canon 822 states that instruments of social communication available to the whole Church should be used for good. That good is sharing the message of Jesus to others. And Canon 823 suggests that Catholics avoid using the instruments of social communication in negative, evil ways. Adhering to those tenets requires participation and support from Catholics to study the Church’s teachings on social communication.
“It says the pastors of the Church have the certain right to be vigilant to make sure that faith and morals are not being harmed by radio, television, movies, of course, the online environment,” Father Smith said. “Of course, anyone in a parish or in a family knows that these instruments of social community can really build up community, they can strengthen us, but they also have the potential to have a bad influence. We have all sorts of safeguards (for) making sure we keep ourselves safe from things that are not good on these platforms.”
To hear more from Father Smith, tune into “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. Aug. 10 and 2 p.m. Aug. 11.
The program also includes a discussion with Joan Mellor, the pastoral minister for St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater, about a new Prayer for Vocations Ministry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Also, John Sonnen, the pilgrimage director for St. Charles Catholic Pilgrimages delves into what a pilgrimage can be.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the program can also be heard after it has aired at archspm.org/faith-and-discipleship/practicing-catholic or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
