Global Catholic Journalists Gather in Seoul... SIGNIS World Congress Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The ‘2022 Seoul SIGNIS World Congress’ (SIGNIS World Congress 2022 Seoul, hereafter SWC2022), an event for Catholic journalists worldwide, will be held for four days from next month’s 15th to 18th at Sogang University in Seoul.

SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication) is an organization dedicated to evangelization through media. It is a Vatican-approved organization comprising Catholic lay journalists and communicators active in TV, radio, film, journalism, internet, and media education fields, holding a world congress every four years. This year, there are 124 overseas participants from 34 countries and 54 Korean participants (excluding SIGNIS members).

This year’s event will be conducted as a hybrid event with various online services including a website and YouTube. The metaverse is one of them. Exhibitions introducing the status of Catholicism in various countries, Catholic films, and Catholic media, as well as pilgrimages to Korean holy sites, will take place within the virtual world of the metaverse.

The theme this year is ‘Peace in the Digital World.’ Pope Francis stated, “In the recent situation characterized by the outbreak of new violence and aggression, your choice of ‘Peace in the Digital World’ as the theme of the world congress is timely.” The Pope also pointed out ethical issues in digital media and urged, “Journalists worldwide should help many people, especially young people, learn how to distinguish truth from falsehood, right from wrong, good from evil, develop sound critical senses, and strive for activities for justice and social harmony.”

Park Bo-gyun, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “The digital transformation toward a hyper-connected and hyper-informed society is rapidly advancing, making life more convenient, but issues such as digital inequality are also emerging,” adding, “I hope this congress will deeply discuss ways to resolve inequality and individual isolation in the digital age and the role of media in realizing peace.”

The event will be attended by Helen Osman, SIGNIS World President, and major Catholic communicators from around the world. Notably, Dr. Paolo Ruffini, the first layperson appointed as a Vatican minister in the history of the Catholic Church, will participate and deliver a keynote speech. Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov, a Russian journalist who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, will also participate via video conference.

The main event, Study Day, will feature presentations and discussions in each session. Study Day will be conducted in three sessions: ‘Isolated Individuals in the Hyper-connected Era,’ ‘Fake News and the Crisis of Trust,’ and ‘Protecting Our Home, the Earth,’ seriously exploring the crises faced not only by the Catholic Church but also by the world today and seeking solutions.

Through the International Journalists Forum and the International Youth Forum, global Catholic journalists will explore the severe realities they face and various ways to overcome them. Participants will also have opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of Korea by visiting the DMZ, Gyeongbokgung Palace, N Seoul Tower, KBS headquarters, and Myeongdong Cathedral area.

The joint honorary chairpersons of ‘SWC 2022 Seoul’ are Cardinal Yeom Soo-jung and Archbishop Jung Soon-taek, Archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese. The organizing committee chairman is former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo.

The SIGNIS World headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium, and the secretariat is in Rome, Italy. SIGNIS has member countries in over 100 countries worldwide, with about 600 members active in Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.