International Colloquium Held in Zagreb: Agency Journalism and the Christian Message

Zagreb, April 23, 2003 (IKA) — The Catholic Press Agency — IKA — Zagreb celebrated the tenth anniversary of its founding on April 22, 2003. In commemoration of this occasion, in cooperation with Hans Seidel Stiftung, the Department of Croatian Studies of the University of Zagreb and the Croatian Association of Catholic Journalists, IKA organized an international colloquium on the topic of Agency Journalism and the Christian Message. In addition to numerous distinguished persons and representatives from the religious and secular media, the participants included the president of the Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for the Media, Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka; the president of the Government Commission for Relations with the Religious Communities, Dr. Goran Granić, vice president of the Government; and Bishop Želimir Puljić of Dubrovnik. At the beginning of the colloquium, the head of IKA, Prof. Antun Šuljić, read a telegram from the secretary of state of the Holy See, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, which conveyed congratulations from Pope John Paul II to IKA on the tenth anniversary of its founding. He also read a message of greetings and congratulations from the president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops, Msgr. Josip Bozanić, archbishop of Zagreb, who was unable to attend.
In Archbishop Bozanić’s message of congratulations, he pointed out the essential role played by IKA “in performing the tasks entrusted to us as the Church.” From the beginnings of the Church, it has been “an expert in using means of communication … From the apostolic letters, rotulum and medieval scriptoria, self-sacrificing Glagolitic scribes to the present day and the use of the press, sound and pictures, the Church has kept up with the development of the mass media, using them and conveying its values through them. This relationship between the Church and media has never been broken,” Archbishop Bozanić pointed out. The archbishop of Zagreb recalled that at the Second Vatican Council, a decree was passed, Inter mirifica, on the mass media, which indicates that the concilliar fathers were well aware “of which and what kind of world the Church lives in and what should be used in order to perform its basic mission — the proclamation of the gospel … The Church among our people, faithful to its mission in the spirit of the gospel and conciliar magisterium, has established and developed its own media for communication, always aware that its basic task is to contribute to the Church and general human fellowship,” stated the archbishop of Zagreb. He also noted that the Croatian bishops in this sense established the Catholic Press Agency — IKA — Zagreb ten years ago, “with a clear Chuch mission in the service of the truth as a means of dialogue with other religious communities and the Croatian society as a whole.”
Greetings were then expressed by the president of the Commission of the Croatian Conference of Bishops for the Media, Archbishop Ivan Devčić of Rijeka. He said that the fact that the Croatian bishops founded IKA even before the establishment of the Croatian Conference of Bishops was indicative of the attention devoted by the bishops to the Church presence in the mass media. He said that during these ten years, IKA has encountered not inconsiderable difficulties but owing to the hard work, enthusiasm and determination of its leadership and journalists, it has succeeded in overcoming them all. IKA is celebrating its tenth anniversary under circumstances in which there is greater openness and cooperation between the media and the Church. It is called to proclaim the Christian message and hope, noted Archbishop Devčić.
Those present were then addressed by the president of the Government Commission for Relations with Religious Communities, Dr. Goran Granić. He congratulated IKA on its anniversary and pointed out that the Church is called to make its contribution to building Croatian society. Those assembled were then greeted by the head of IKA, Prof. Antun Šuljić, who recalled that the agency was established on April 22, 1993 by the Croatian bishops “with a clearly defined task to contribute to better communication within the Church and between the Church and our Croatian society, while at the same time contributing to the more truthful and timely presentation of information to Europe and the world, especially to the Catholic public, so that the voice of our Church and homeland could be better heard among the many voices in the world.” During the past ten years, he pointed out, IKA “has attempted on the one hand to perform its Church mission faithfully, and on the other to remain faithful to all the rules of agency journalism.” The head of IKA also pointed out that agency journalism is “self-sacrificing” and in a certain sense “on the path of the best tradition of Christian monastic life.” Agency journalism in a very self-sacrificing manner “contributes to the comprehension of the Christian mysteries. He recognized all the journalists who have invested great enthusiasm, energy and love “in this important work on the front lines of the public work of the Church.” He also thanked all those who helped IKA to mature, grow and develop. “With this colloquium, we should like to promote discussion in the Church and society regarding the place, significance, influence, boundaries, advantages and shortcomings of the mass media, particularly the Catholic media. We want to review our recent history but also to consider what is being done elsewhere,” said Prof. Šuljić. He added that the colloquium was also intended to bear witness to a period in the life of the Church in Croatian society but also to expand our horizons toward other churches and nations and, at least briefly, touch upon questions of concern to the general public such as European integration, as well as new challenges for Christian proclamation today.