US Catholic Bishops Publish Social Media Guidelines for Catholics

U.S. Bishops Offer a Synthesis of Best Practices

The USCCB's guidelines can be a very good basic primer, especially for those who have just set foot for the first time in this strange land that is 'ready for harvest'.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has now published a list of guidelines regarding social media. These guidelines, along with the newly formed Office of Digital Media, underscore the serious commitment of the USCCB toward new technologies.

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has now published a list of guidelines regarding social media. These guidelines, along with the newly formed Office of Digital Media, underscore the serious commitment of the USCCB toward new technologies.

The new social media guidelines were published in response to and support of the Holy Father's call to involvement in the digital world found the his World Communications Day message. They provide basic principles for responsible engagement with social media as Catholics as well as a glossary of terms that are commonly used to explain this brave new world.

As the document states, "Social media is the fastest growing form of communication in the United States, especially among youth and young adults. Our Church cannot ignore it, but at the same time we must engage social media in a manner that is safe, responsible, and civil.

"Online social media communities are vast and are growing at a rapid pace. For example, there are more than 400 million active users on Facebook, which is greater than the population of the United States. Given the size and scope of these communities, they offer excellent forums for the Church's visibility and evangelization.

"The key question that faces each church organization that decides to engage social media is, How will we engage? Careful consideration should be made to determine the particular strengths of each form of social media (blogs, social networks, text messaging, etc.) and the needs of a ministry, parish, or organization."

Among the matters covered in the brief document is the need for "Rules of the Road." For anyone who has even dipped his toe in the waters of social networking, rude and vulgar postings, personal attacks and verbally abusive behavior is easily encountered.

The guidelines urge those who host sites to be sure that a "Code of Conduct" is clearly stated. They use the example of the Code of Conduct from their own Facebook page, which reads as follows: "All posts and comments should be marked by Christian charity and respect for the truth. They should be on topic and presume the good will of other posters. Discussion should take place primarily from a faith perspective. No ads please."

The online world has often been referred to as "the new wild west." As the Holy Father calls the church to a more aggressive participation, it's good to remember our responsibility as Catholics to represent Christ and His Church well as we get more involved.

We are seeing the marketplace move online with the building up of a virtual townsquare. While social media is no substitute for the real face-to-face communication, it serves as a new and exciting extension, as communication expert Marshall McLuhan would propose.

The USCCB's guidelines can be a very good basic primer, especially for those who have just set foot for the first time in this strange land that is white unto harvest. You can view the guildelines by clicking here.  

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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