Mediums; use them wisely!
From 1948 until he died in 1969, Fr . Louis J. Twomey published a newsletter out of Loyola University New Orleans, "Christ's Blueprint for the South," to educate his fellow Jesuits on Catholic social teaching and challenge them to put it into practice.
Think See-Judge-Act as the theme of the newsletters.
As Marshall McLuhan famously stated, 'The medium is the message.' The medium significantly influences human perception and behavior, often overshadowing the specific information it carries. Intriguingly, the Church and politicians share more similarities than one might expect, a comparison that invites us to reflect on our roles and responsibilities.
Father Twomey was an outspoken white ally of New Orleans's Black community. Think of Albert Nolan, OP, in South Africa, Joseph Cardijn and young workers/students, and Thomas Merton during the 1960s.
As early as November 1955, the local civil rights leader Revius Ortique Jr. said when introducing Twomey at a public event, "I fear that we may not have Father Twomey in our midst in the South much longer, for other courageous men of conviction who spoke out for right had to be sent farther north for their safety and protection."
The heart of the matter is Social Justice, Catholic Social Teachings, and the message and medium we use to tell our story.
Twomey studied theology during the late 1930s. He discovered Catholic social teaching through Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum," Pius XI's "Quadragesimo Anno," and Pius XI's "Divini Redemptoris." He was taken with the social encyclicals' vision of human dignity, writing articles for The Catholic World urging readers to follow "Christ the Workingman" and "go to the poor."
Think of Pious XI and his strong interest in fostering lay people's participation throughout the Catholic Church, especially in the Catholic Action movement. The end of his pontificate was dominated by speaking out against Hitler and Mussolini and defending the Catholic Church from intrusions into Catholic life and education.
Once again, consider the medium as the message. Pius XI's Public teaching was "The Peace of Christ in the Reign of Christ."
Pius XI took a pragmatic approach toward the different forms of government. In his encyclical Dilectissima Nobis (1933), in which he addressed the situation of the Church in Republican Spain, he proclaimed: "Universally known is the fact that the Catholic Church is never bound to one form of government more than to another, provided the Divine rights of God and of Christian consciences are safe. She does not find any difficulty in adapting herself to various civil institutions, be they monarchic or republican, aristocratic or democratic."
You begin to see Pius XI's influence on Twomey's story and life.
What is important for us to understand is what Twomey, Albert Nolan, Joseph Cardijn, and others were doing. That in itself tells us a story of the Catholic Church's role in civil rights history, social justice, and Catholic Social Teaching.
The Medium is the Message!
Consider today and AI's role in social media, network news, blog posts, etc. How is your message being conveyed as the medium?
I have a tagline in my emails, "The Currency of human contact is stories! People remember what they "see" in their minds."
We debate because of technology all the time the value of Social Media vs. Face-to-Face Communication:
Social Media: Platforms like Twitter, with their character limits, push users to be concise, often leading to oversimplified or exaggerated messages. The medium can encourage quick, reactive communication.
Face-to-Face: In-person conversations allow us to explore nuance, body language, and tone, providing a richer context. The medium supports deeper understanding and connection.
Both are mediums; use them wisely!