Part IV - Catholic Internet Mission: A Cyber Theology in Process

4. Catholic Internet Mission: A Cyber Theology in Process

4.1 Introduction
It is clear that theology cannot ignore the internet, nor can it assume that cyberspace is just an extension of normal life. We must find a Cyber Theology with a digital hermeneutic that can address the complexity and the subtlety of computer mediated communication in its own terms. Catholic internet mission, the communication designed and lived by the Catholic Church should answer this question. Cyber Theology can be defined as a theology, in the cyberspace, for the cyberspace and by the cyberspace[1].
4.2 Processing a Theology in Three Stages
If we are to see what theology can be derived from the Catholic internet mission experience, we have to examine three elements:
(1) The experience of interacting in the electronically-mediated world of the internet;
(2) How this internet mission experience of communication relates to the Catholic mission traditions and missionary ways of communicating;
(3) Third and final, we also see what action can be taken to ensure that the Catholic internet mission theology of communication that results from judging these internet mission experiences from a Judaeo-Christian tradition and a Catholic missionary model, is in line with what the official Catholic Church is saying, as regards its Vatican II theology of mission and the theology of communication.
4.3 An Interactive Internet Experience
The Catholic internet mission experience is multifaceted in its dimensions. To arrive at a theology of mission and communication for Catholic internet mission, the experience of being Catholic and interacting on the Internet must be examined from several factors: first, is the interaction between fellow Catholics on the internet; second, is the interaction with the other Christians and non-Catholics; and third, is the interaction of Catholics with non-Christians in the internet.
4.3.1 Interaction with fellow Catholics

Interaction among Catholics is most often harmonious especially when the subject of the interaction is praying for another person or when fellow Catholics communicate by posting messages of meditative and inspirational material that invite heartwarming feelings and positive responses. However, if discussions on Catholic issues are involved in the communication and in the interaction - especially in relation to very controversial Catholic issues dealing with a pro and an anti stance, then it is likely that arguments or ‘fights’ will occur. The two parties exchange messages and posts that quote what the other has written and puts down his point before the others in a forum or a list. When something like this happens, the fight is usually resolved when one party suggests to the other that they just drop the issue and the thread of discussion, and just respect each other’s conservative or liberal point of view - which has really been influenced by either a conservative or a liberal theology and spirituality framework behind it.
4.3.2 Interaction with other Christians and non-Catholics

When the Catholic internet mission interaction involved is between a non-Catholic and a Catholic, when the messages posted has to do with prayer, Scripture text or meditative or inspirational material, usually there is no problem. However, whenever a mention of the Pope and his documents and messages are posted, you can expect a reaction of hostility which can be quite upsetting especially if the non-Catholic is fundamentalist and very anti-Catholic in their attitude. In cases like this, a lot of patience and self-restraint is necessary in order not to start a spiral of ‘word’ violence. We can only fight evil with good and not add anymore fire to the blaze. If the Catholic internet mission is to succeed and to be victorious in the sense of peaceful co-existence and a greater tolerance and respect for each other’s orientation in both theology and spirituality, then in communicating our Catholic faith, we must learn to forgive the one who may have made a hostile remark at us, called us names, or accused us of being heretical, and forget it ever happened. What is important though is we do not lose our ground and we keep the stand of our faith. Eventually, as we continue on standing on our ground and on the Catholic theology and spirituality we are formed in, and at the same time using the language of those internet people we are interacting with, we will eventually become familiar with the way they express their faith and theology. And they themselves will learn to tolerate our being Catholic
The important thing then for Catholic internet mission in dealing with non-Catholics is to be sensitive that we do not “papalize” our words and statements in a way that they may feel threatened by the power and great influence of the Catholic Church - even if it is just expressed in the words that we post during our interaction in the lists and the forums. The best thing is to observe first what their faith is about, what language they are using and what certain type of theology they are, and then use their language in communicating the spirit of our Catholic faith through the theology of mission and a theology of communication suggested by our Late Holy Father John Paul II - one that involves entering into a spirit of peace and dialogue.
4.3.3 Interaction with non-Christians
As regards the internet mission experience of being with non-Christians in lists and forums, most often they refuse to receive any posts that relate to Christianity - especially prayers. It is wise to just respect their desire of not receiving such posts and just use the secular language which they are familiar with - such as the technological language of the internet. It is sufficient that they just know you as a committed Catholic who is in the Internet for a special purpose - for the Catholic Internet Mission. It might even turn out to be a surprise when you find out that one day over your casual surfing of the internet, you may find that one of them has started an Internet business that has to do with Christian trinkets, items, and symbols. And when you do discover this, we will find how our interaction with them in a secular way has also brought in a certain influence that has made them to venture into such a Christian business.
4.4 The Catholic Mission Heritage and Cyberspace
The Catholic internet mission is a totally different way of doing Catholic mission. The forum is entirely different from the forum we know of in the physical world. The forum involves cyberspace: an electronically-mediated environment. In this electronically-mediated environment, there is no personal encounter involved. The communication between peoples is not interpersonal but electronically-mediated. Even though there can be opportunities to use the webcam still that is also electronically-mediated. All internet mission communication is through the written word or through symbols, pictures and graphics - with some of them dynamic, animated and moving. Our Judaeo-Christian tradition and our classic Catholic mission model of evangelization and communication always sees interpersonal encounters in community or in parishes as the standard way of performing a Catholic mission. And the personal encounter with God in its highest form has always been through the Eucharist and the other sacramental celebrations. In the Catholic internet mission experience, experiences of love, friendship, peace, unity, harmony, moral support, joy, happiness, and even a sense of the presence of God through inspiring messages are similar to our experiences of reading books and watching television or the movies or in receiving postcards and letters. They are secondary and not primary experiences. These secondary experiences can also be found when the computer monitor shows for example a scriptural passage. Any spiritual experience derived from such reading may be equated to one that is experienced when reading the same scriptural passage of the Bible in the physical world. The only difference between the two is that in the Internet, the emotional impact of the reading may be heightened and intensified by the colors (both text and background) used and the dynamic graphics and animated images that may have been put to accompany it.
The Catholic internet mission involves an electronic medium, while the traditional Catholic mission involves the medium of speech, gestures, body language, eye contact, and human touch. Our Judaeo-Christian tradition has always used the latter type of medium. It is still and should be the standard of Catholic mission, Catholic evangelization and the proclamation of the Gospel. If we compare both types of Catholic mission, we can clearly see that there is a richness of human and interpersonal encounter in the latter while there is a little of this dimension in the former. On the other hand, there is the advantage of a much powerful impact in the proclamation of the gospel through the Catholic internet mission because of the greater and wider audience compared to the latter method of traditional Catholic mission that involves personal encounters with a few individuals, a small group, or a conference hall.
4.5 Vatican II and Cyber Theology
Vatican II theology of mission always speaks of the “signs of the times”. Our world today is changing much more rapidly than in the past centuries. Advancements and progress in science and technology are occurring so fast that in a short period of time compared to previous ages, much more has been accomplished and achieved by contemporary human civilization. And this we can see in the use of the Internet by millions of people. The population using the Internet is increasing rapidly every year.
If the Catholic Church must proclaim the gospel in this rapidly changing world - a world that is much influenced by Internet technology, then it is also necessary indeed that she also bring the Catholic mission in the still and much undiscovered world of cyberspace - the world of the Internet and its electronically-mediated languages and culture. The mission of the Catholic Church is a global mission and it is a great opportunity for her to use the global strength and influence of the Internet as a tool for her mission to all peoples of all cultures and of all nations.
But there is a difference however in the Catholic mission performed in the physical world compared to the Catholic internet mission performed in cyberspace. The physical world in which Catholic missionaries move has fixed physical limitations; on the other hand, those who evangelize through the Catholic internet mission move in the world of the Internet - cyberspace - which is like the term that describes it - an expanding electronic space. The Internet is a continuously expanding electronically-mediated world that has great potential for producing very many Internet niches that can contain this Catholic internet mission theology.
Both worlds however, the world of the physical environment and the world of cyberspace, occur in the same time dimension. They just exist in different spaces and at different planes but they are very much in agreement with one another nonetheless. In fact, they can complement each other - the physical world being the main and traditional mission field for the universal Catholic mission, and the internet world as the secondary or support mission field where great work can be done in the sense of supporting the former with follow-ups and additional catechetical information and formation in prayers and the Gospel.
So what can we make of a Catholic internet mission theology? How is the study of God applied to this new and contemporary experience in cyberspace? From what has been analyzed and studied above, the experience of God from an authentic spiritual dimension should not be the focus of Catholic internet mission theology. Rather, the focus of Catholic internet mission theology should be towards a didactic, catechetical and informative point of view. “To make the face of Christ seen and to make the voice of Christ heard”[2] must be seen more in terms of teaching and education - as in the printed material we read in the physical world. The Catholic internet mission must provide Internet users with initial contact with the gospel, the image of Christ and Catholic culture - all within the context of the internet mission vision provided by the papal messages. One great advantage to this medium is its interactive feature. And this interactive feature of Catholic Internet Mission can be magnified several times more than the ordinary interaction in the standard mission setting. This interactive feature of Catholic internet mission can act as a first support for the Internet user before he or she is led to the living, liturgical and sacramental celebration of the Catholic sacraments.
4.6 Conclusion
The Catholic internet mission and its corresponding theology is one filled with promise but also one full of dangers. Since it is new, it must not isolate itself from the traditional Catholic mission. Rather, it must partner with it, being its great support in evangelizing to a much more global audience; and being its Catholic internet mission communications tool for vital and expansive outreach. No matter how much cyberspace has expanded even more than the physical world, the Catholic Internet mission is still subsumed to the traditional methods of doing Catholic mission (it cannot replace it) - which goes way back to our Judaeo-Christian roots and tradition up to the present Vatican II way of doing missions. The Catholic internet mission is a new mission with a new theology that presents to us a great gift from God so that we can increase the evangelization efforts of the Catholic mission and help build the Catholic Church and her mission to bring all peoples to Christ and help them make Christ as the center of their lives in the celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy in interpersonal communities.
[1] F W Debbie, Theology in-of and for Cyberspace, (Oxford, 2005) p 5
[2] Pontifical Council for Social Communications, The Church And Internet, (Vatican, 2002) n. 9