The Catholic Church recognizes that the Internet can be a positive element in our lives - particularly in spreading the Good News in new ways. The Catholic Church is also aware that there are certain challenges with access to the internet and emerging technologies. To this end the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference published a Pastoral Letter on Internet Safety.
It is important that we acknowledge that threats to our safety, human dignity, and relationships with others and with God can manifest themselves within the digitally connected world of the 21st Century. Some of these threats include the following:
A copy of the Pastoral Letter on Internet Safety may be downloaded here. In May 2015, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released an updated version of the Social-Networking Policy for the Catholic Church in Australia. It is hoped that this resource will be helpful to students, parents and teachers in navigating a way to use Social Media in sharing the message of Christ in the world. |