The First Conference on the Social Media relating to the Armenian Catholic Church

Beirut – Lebanon, 24-25 September 2010

Communiqué

Under the presidency of His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics and by the organization of the Patriarchal committee for social media relating to the Armenian Catholic Church, the first conference on the Social Media relating to the Armenian Catholic Church took place on Friday and Saturday the 24^th and the 25^th of September 2010, in the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate.

Co-workers and persons in charge of the audiovisual media and the press relating to the Armenian Catholic Church, came from Lebanon, Syria and Italy to participate in this conference (around 40 participants), in the presence of the bishops, priests, fervent sisters and journalists.

The conference started with a prayer on Friday, the 24^th of September, at 4:00 PM. After that, the Most Reverend Spiritual Father made a speech in which he welcomed the attendees and emphasized the mission of the journalist which consists in transmitting the truth. He appreciated the journalist’s mission by saying « it is worth building where others are destroying, cleaning where the malefactors are messing up, explaining where the exploiters are confusing». Then, the president of the Patriarchal committee for social media relating to the Armenian Catholic Church Father Raphael Minassian made a speech and shed light on the role played by the social media in the Church. He also explained the conference aim which consists in enhancing the presence of the Christians in the Middle East. The director of St. Krikor Naregatsi center of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate Father Vartan Kazandjian made a speech by presenting the geographical and work axes of media relating to the Armenian Catholic Church at the present time. Father Antranig Granian presented a set of problems concerning the news broadcasters’ team that will be formed and he also made some suggestions.

After a short break, the reports sent by the absent and present representatives of the Armenian Catholic media were read. Later on, during the conference, they put forward exemplary ideas, fundamental needs and propositions that evaluate the evolution of the media development in this century, so that the news arrives very precisely.

And on Saturday, the 25^th of September at 9:30 AM, after the welcoming speech, the report of the previous day was read. After that, opinions were exchanged during which the attendees made their practical suggestions. Hence, they came to a guideline that includes the following:

a - To enhance the news, the information and the means,

b - To improve the journalistic work especially through the newest media,

c - To affirm the importance of transmitting faith through these media,

d - To guarantee the continuation of this work for the future generations, by changing the individual enterprise into a collective enterprise.

The co-workers in the domain of the Armenian media in Lebanon participated in the closure of this conference.

Finally, the people who participated in the conference were thankful to all the organizers and they welcomed all the individual and collective enterprises that contribute to the media mission towards the Church and the society and consider what is mentioned in the work file of the special assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops that will be held from 10 to 24 October and they take into account that the good preparation of the media, the renewed soul and the regular work will be able to show the real communication between the Christians in the Middle East. The participants renewed their faithfulness to continue in the direction of these media and to strengthen, by God’s grace, the cooperation between all during other meetings.

Beirut, the 25^th of September 2010