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From the perspective of institutional communication, the Second Vatican Council can be considered the most significant media event of the 20th century organized by an institution. This was due to its duration, impact on millions of people, and the media interest it aroused. For the Catholic Church, the management of the official information of this Assembly was an undertaking of considerable proportions, involving complex challenges.
In this comprehensive study, the author examines the intricate path that the authorities followed to manage the considerable demand for news that the Second Vatican Council generated and to deal with the difficulties that emerged at each moment. It has been possible to consult numerous archives and documents and access information that had not yet been made public.
Divided into two parts, in the initial section the book presents the arduous process involved in the organization of the Vatican II information services and their successive reforms throughout these years. This process was accompanied by a lengthy reflection on the role of the media in the Council, public opinion within the Church, and the intricate relationship between the silence imposed to guarantee the free discussion of the Council Fathers and the necessity to give information about the progress of Vatican II. The second part deals with the significant role played by the media in the Council and treats the main communicative problems that marked the course of Vatican II.
Fr. José María Díaz-Dorronsoro (Pamplona, Spain, 1979) is Associate Professor and Director of Studies at the School of Church Communications of Pontificia Università della Santa Croce. He teaches courses on Public Opinion and Catholic Church's Doctrine on Communications. He develops his research on the history of ecclesiastical communication, focusing on the informative aspects of the Second Vatican Council, the management of the press by the Holy See during the Vatican II, and the role of the American media and journalists in the last Council.
He also works on public opinion within the Church and is a member of the international research group “Footprints (Young People: Expectations, Ideals, Beliefs)”. Its main purpose is to understand young people and their desires, values, expectations, etc., from a Christian anthropological perspective.
He holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) and a Ph.D. in Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome, Italy). He has also been a professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Navarra (Spain). He is also a member of the editorial board of the journal Church, Communication and Culture and the author of a monograph on the Spanish political weekly Cambio 16 and its activities during the political transition to democracy in Spain.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Acknowledgments • 1
Introduction • 3
PART I.
THE MANAGEMENT OF CONCILIAR INFORMATION • 13
Chapter I. The Biggest Media Event of the 20th Century • 15
The Announcement of the Council • 15
The Ecclesial Milestone of the Twentieth Century • 23
The Catholic Church: Media Figure • 24
A Highly Relevant Informative Event • 29
The Church: Mirror of a New World • 33
The Information Services of the Holy See prior
to the Conciliar Announcement • 37
Major Changes in the Field of Communication • 46
The Media after World War II • 46
The Catholic Press on the Eve of the Second Vatican Council • 51
Chapter 2. The Establishment of the Conciliar
Information Services • 61
The Bishops and Their Communication Proposals • 64
First Steps towards Establishing a Press Office • 71
More Initiatives and Some Communication Problems • 83
Progress towards the Constitution of the Press Office • 88
Contributions from Journalists • 91
The Establishment of the Press Office • 100
Accreditation of Journalists • 106
The Bulletin • 109
Improvements in the Press Office • 111
Chapter 3. The Work done by the Council Press Office • 117
Facilities and Staff • 118
Preparation of the Newsletter • 119
Tasks for Journalists • 125
Press Conferences • 125
Mass for Journalists • 128
Audiences with the Holy Father • 132
Other Activities and Services: Documentation,
Conferences, Excursions, and a Photo Contest • 134
Accredited Persons • 136
Other Information Offices • 142
Chapter 4. The Press Committee for the Council • 157
The Outcome of the First Session • 157
The Outcome of the Profession • 158
The Balance Sheet of the Prelates • 165
The Council’s Press Committee • 171
Information Management in the Second Conciliar Period • 182
Special Meetings of the Press Committee • 186
Preparation for the Second Intersession and the Third Conciliar Period • 189
The Committee’s Work during the Third and Fourth Conciliar Periods • 191
Work during the Second Intersession • 191
The Press Committee’s Work during the Last Two Conciliar Periods • 198
PART II.
THE INFORMATION CHALLENGES OF THE COUNCIL • 207
Chapter 5. The Conciliar Information Debate • 209
The Early Stages of an Intense Debate • 210
The U.C.I.P. Congress in Santander • 213
A Debate Led by Central Europe • 220
Conciliar Information according to the Holy See • 223
The Intensification of the Debate • 229
Extensive Information vs. Conciliar Secrecy • 234
John XXIII’s Position on Conciliar Information • 238
An Unfinished Debate and the Drums of War • 247
Chapter 6. The hectic first Session • 255
Problems during the First Conciliar Session • 257
Problems with the Press Release • 261
The Matter of Conciliar Secrecy • 271
Vallainc and Felice in the Spotlight • 277
The Beginning of the Council of the Media • 280
Bishops and Theologians • 282
The Press • 292
Chapter 7. The Council of the Media • 303
The Media, Participants in the Council • 305
The Council of the Media • 313
A Return to Conciliar Secrecy • 318
Dissenting Voices • 324
The Conflict with Henri Fesquet • 332
The Black Week of the Press • 349
Paul VI and Public Opinion • 354
A Spokesperson for the Holy See? • 359
Appendices: Media and Journalists accredited at Vatican II • 365
Appendix 1. Tables • 367
Appendix 2. Media accredited to the press office
during the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) • 373
Appendix 3. People accredited to the council’s press office • 393
Bibliography and References • 473