Vatican City: the VIS takes its leave
On April 29, 2016, the Vatican Information Service published the last of its “official Vatican news bulletins”: "Many thanks to all our faithful subscribers and to the great number of readers who, thanks to the regular distribution operated by the latter, have been able to access this modest service of the Church. With the turning of a new leaf, the need for information remains. We hope that they all will find an alternate reliable news source, so they may form opinions founded on accurate and direct information.
Msgr. Dario Eduardo Viganò, prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, explained that the merge of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications with the Holy See Press Office and the Vatican Internet Service began in 2015. In 2016, the plan will be completed with the merging of Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre (CTV). Lastly, in 2017, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Typography, the photographic service and the Vatican Publishing House will be merged with other structures.
This reform, whose goal is to “rethink the communication system” of the Vatican as a whole, is not without its difficulties: “the onion method may draw some tears but purifies the sight, helps one to see better.” In the end, Msgr. Viganò says, there are to be only two websites: that of the Magisterium, Vatican.va, and one other “main home page” that will be called VaticanNews.va. This homepage will link to all 39 of the multilingual publications of Vatican Radio as well as the content of CTV and L’Osservatore Romano.
The reform also relates to the communication between the Holy See and the local churches, with the setup of a “sort of weekly newsletter, sent by the Secretary of State to the heads of the bishops’ conferences.”
(Sources: VIS – kipa-apic.ch – iMedia – DICI no. 336, 27/05/16)
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