CEBU City — The head of the bishops’ social communications ministry urged Catholic communicators to focus on what matters most as technology, including artificial intelligence, reshapes how people communicate and express their faith.
Speaking Saturday at the opening Mass of the 2nd Cebu Metropolitan Catholic Mass Media Congress, Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon encouraged delegates to reflect on how technological advances have changed the way people, particularly young people, encounter and share their faith.
“There are a lot of things that were unthinkable before that are now possible,” said Alarcon, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Social Communications, in his homily.
He traced the evolution of communication technology from typewriters and computers to smartphones, voice commands and artificial intelligence.
Alarcon, who is also the archbishop of Caceres, said these advances should not distract communicators from seeking deeper meaning and recognizing what has lasting value.
“Discern things of real and lasting value. Do not forget the most important things in life,” he said, stressing that faith and reason complement rather than contradict each other.
“Faith and reason are not contrary to one another but assist one another and open us to the mystery of God,” he added.
The congress carries the theme “Human Dignity at the Heart of AI Innovation in Media Ministry.”
The CMCMMC is a biennial gathering of Church media ministers from various dioceses and institutions to share experiences, deepen their understanding of Church communications and explore ways to promote the Gospel through traditional and digital media.
