Fumbling towards Beatitude

The theme for the 2013 World Communications Day message was revealed at a press conference Tuesday: "Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization."  While the message itself is always published on the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24), the theme is released on the feast of archangels (Oct. 2) the fall before, and sets the stage for reflection and teaching to begin. The announcement of this theme of digital media continues a thread that began with 2009's "New Technologies, New Relationships " and which continued with subsequent annual messages . WCD was the sole annual celebration called for by Vatican II, and began in 1967.

This past winter I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Eric McLuhan, the son of the celebrated media theorist Marshall McLuhan, and communications scholar in his own right. Eric has been continuing his father's line of reflection and insight since the 1970s and has authored or co-authored some half-dozen books. Recently, we were corresponding on a few issues concerning communications and society. I was interested to learn that over the last few years, McLuhan has delivered three talks in Rome, which to the best of my knowledge remain unpublished. He was kind enough to share the transcripts with me. The first talk was delivered at the Lateran University in 2009 to a group of university rectors. In it, he discussed contemporary students and the pressures they face. He makes eight points, all of which share a certain amount of interrelation, but together constitute a recognizably McLuhanesque reflection on the effects of our digital environments today.