Poll: Catholics want pastors to blog

A poll of U.S. Catholics indicated nearly a third of those surveyed said they would like their pastors and bishops to blog. The poll, called "Catholic New Media Use in the United States, 2012," surveyed 1,047 self-identified Catholics from September 10-18, and was conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, said a release from the Department of Communications of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. While only 5 percent of respondents said they read or follow blogs on the Catholic Church, faith, or spirituality, 33 percent of respondents said they would like their pastor to have a blog. "The CARA report suggests many opportunities for the church to engage with those who live on the 'Digital Continent,' as Pope Benedict XVI describes this new culture of communications," said Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Communications. "We can approach this as missionaries, eager to find God already present among the inhabitants of this world and to engage them, especially young people, in meaningful dialogue about morals and values in this new public square." "In this context, the role of the laity becomes ever more central," said Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, in a message to the bishops and bloggers gathered in Baltimore. "The 'voices' of the many Catholics who are present in blogs, social networks and other digital forums are reaching people who might not otherwise encounter the message of Jesus." The release gave no margin of error.