FED: Catholic masses on the Internet

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-1999
FED: Catholic masses on the Internet

SYDNEY, April 17 - The Catholic Church said today its ambitious bid to take Sunday Mass to
young people via the Internet would not render traditional church worship obsolete.

Often criticised as having little relevance in the lives of the young, the church has
plunged into the world of cyberspace, screening mass services on the Internet.

But the church today denied this meant more pews would be empty as people chose to enjoy a
digital version of the real thing.

Catholic Communications director Marita Franklin said the televised event would hardly
replace the experience of church worship.

"This doesn't replace the experience of actually going," she said.

"It may encourage people who are not churchgoers to join in the experience or give people
outside the city the chance to experience mass in the cathedral, a magical church."

More than 7,200 people logged onto the Catholic Communications website over the Easter
weekend to watch St Mary's Cathedral Easter liturgies.

Nearly 4,000 people alone visited the site on Easter Saturday to watch the video of
Cardinal Edward Clancy attending mass.

The church said it believed young people were the most likely users.

"This has opened up a whole new range of possibilities for the church to reach out to
people," Ms Franklin said.

"Basically we have communicated with a different range of people in a different way and
they haven't had to leave their homes.

"We would expect a lot of the people who logged on over the weekend were young people and
that's really exciting."

The success of the mass on the Internet has prompted the church to consider airing
liturgies on a regular basis.

"We will definitely be exploring possibilities as a result of this," Ms Franklin said.

"It is important for the Catholic Church to use all available means of communication to
reach Church-going and non-Church-going people."

AAP cmm/jo/ms

KEYWORD: NET CATHOLIC

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