Professional paper

Croatian (arch)dioceses on social networks

Nenad Palac orcid.org/0000-0001-8817-9970 ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb

Abstract

Using the Internet more and more people are becoming part of
a “virtual community”. The fact is that a large number of believers
have one or more profiles on social networks, using them daily and
even several times. Before us is a challenge and we have to seize
this opportunity and offer the users of social networks not only a
good quality content or material, but also try to realize encounter in
real space and time. To begin with, we need to be cooperative and
answer their questions through the platforms they use, no matter
where they are currently located, at school, at university, engaged
in their businesses, in the comfort of their home or having coffee
at a nearby cafe. It is necessary for the Church as an institution to
impose itself and to get its own brand on social networks as a new
e-community which is going to offer not only a good quality content,
but also become an active collocutor with all those who “sail the sea”
of digital data, information and social networks. An open and honest
two-way communication through the Internet and social networks
can and should ultimately lead to an encounter in real time and space. After showing the ubiquity and importance of social networks
in our time, the author refers to the use of social networks by Pope
Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, as well as by Croatian bishops Vlado Košić and Mato Uzinić. In the last chapter of the paper the author analyses the use of social networks in Croatia on the diocesan
level and gives the examples of four (arch)dioceses.

Keywords

Internet; social networks; new evangelization; Croatian dioceses; Church

Hrčak ID:

141362

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/141362

Publication date:

14.7.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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