Sem. Roger Ryan D.

Alba Seminar 10: Pastoral Theology (Pastoral Communications)

Rev. Fr Christopher Jeffrey L. Aytona, OP September 21, 2022

CRISIS MANAGEMENT INSIGHT REFLECTION

The Church currently faces numerous issues with regard to growth, catching up, effective
means of communicating the Word of God, and, particularly, the demands and needs of the time.
These adjustments put the Church's missionary tenacity and strength to the test. The Church
prevents it from becoming more complicated and a major issue in light of this. As a result, the
Church always looks for answers. It is now simple for the Church to identify those issues
because those inside the Church are assisting in their detection. Additionally, the Church can
easily handle these crises with the help of technology and the media.
From heresies in the early centuries to fake news, sexual abuse, corruption, imposition,
false teachings, and others up to the present, the Church has faced various challenges. These
difficulties are also exacerbated by the growth of contemporary sects and churches. In addition,
although not entirely, the emergence of technology and media, particularly social media, poses
the most serious and pervasive challenge to the Church's doctrines and teachings. These factors
put the Church in danger because people are so easily duped in modern society. The Church
actually has to deal with this. The pastor's job is to watch over and make sure that the Church is
still strengthened and fortified because the Church needs assistance. In addition to maintaining
the Church of Christ, the pastors are charged with ensuring that future generations continue to
receive the Word of God. How to deal with these problems is their main concern, with the help
of the lay faithful. The main issue is how this is even conceivable given that the Church is
constantly in peril, constantly dealing with a crisis, and the public has begun to question the
Church's abilities and doctrine.
I recently realized the crisis' enormous impact on the Church during the crisis
management session. I had no idea the Church was as rich in teachings as she is, not to mention
how involved it is in numerous internal and external issues and problems. Apart from the
controversial issues, one of the speakers stated that one of the crises the Church is currently
experiencing is the criticism of the Church for its silence and for being "pakialamero." Given that
the Church does not remain silent when a morality-related issue arises, Msgr. Pepe Quitorio
claimed that the Church's current challenge is how to address this crisis. He added that the
Church becomes scripted as a result of the media because the media wants to sanitize all of the
information the Church disseminates, particularly when they learn something that might
endanger or contradict their own beliefs. To proclaim the Good News without prejudice or
hesitancy, the Church began to establish its own brand, where she could speak for what is real,
just, and true.
Additionally, Rev. Fr. Emil Arbatin emphasizes the significance of communication in
crisis management. He said that effective communication is necessary to address everyone's
concerns if there is to be peace and unity among the people and the Church. Last but not least,
Ms. Patrice Sibug mentioned that her main responsibility as an Assistant to the Director for
Publication in the office of Public Affairs is to track daily news in the media, which is very
useful in the church ministry. She made the point that social media can be a useful tool for crisis
management.
Social media is a crucial part of peoples' lives today. People enjoy it because everything
is simple to access with just one click. However, these social media platforms do not just offer
solace; they also pose some risks, such as scams and fake news. From the viewpoint of the
Church, it is true that social media gives the Church more channels through which to spread the
gospel. The Church makes the most of its usability to reach every person, even in isolated areas
and the margins. Additionally, using this platform, the word of God can instantly travel across
the world. According to Inter Mirifica, "Therefore, it is an inherent right of the Church to have at
its disposal and to employ any of these media insofar as they are necessary or valuable for the
instruction of Christians and all its efforts for the welfare of souls. Pastors must instruct and
guide the faithful so that they, with the aid of these same media, may further the salvation and
perfection of themselves and the entire human family. Additionally, the laity must strive to instill
in the faithful the values that are necessary for the welfare
So, during the course of the session, three crucial ideas regarding crisis management
stayed in my head. I discovered that in order to deal with a crisis, we must speak out about the
issue and look for solutions. When problems arise, let's not be deaf, blind, and mute. The next
step is to plan and organize new services; the church had already experienced some attacks and
reformations during its thousand-year existence. But as you can see, the Church is still solidly
constructed. However, in order for the Church to effectively spread the Teachings of Christ, we
must constantly be aware of the demands of the times and organize new approaches and systems
accordingly. And last, with the advancement of technology and media, it is crucial to take into
account the media's function as a monitoring tool to make sure that the information circulating
throughout the globe is still the Truth the Church proclaims. These are some crucial ideas I want
to keep in mind while dealing with and handling crises in the Church; they might not be major,
but I think we can make important advancements and support and defend the Church in her
difficulties by taking a few easy steps.
According to Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is experiencing difficulties and crises
just like men and women do today, which is not a sign that the Church is in decline. Let us keep
in mind that because the Church is still alive, she will always face challenges and be
experiencing a crisis. Only the dead are not experiencing crises, he said. He claimed that the
Catholic Church's mandate to evangelize rather than proselytize is more than just a calling; it is
an essential aspect of who the Catholic Church is. "Only by discerning God's will in our daily
lives and beginning a transformation led by the Holy Spirit can we renew the Church. That
transformation is our personal reform. Having the Holy Spirit, a gift from God, in our hearts
helps us remember and apply what Jesus taught.
Let's pray that the Church will be given the power and grace to transform herself in the
image of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit. Pray for those who are associated with the Church,
particularly the priests who are working with the Church to combat this situation. They might be
able to always guard and defend the Church with the help of our prayers. I think that if we all
pull together and are motivated by prayer, we can conquer any obstacle.