The date April 25, 2012 marks a remarkable date in the history of media. It is the day in which the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) was launched marking the birth of a new voice that reverberates in the world while disseminating the message of love, mercy, and common living. It is a day in which the Latin Vicariate in Amman launched a center that preaches genuine affiliation to the homeland, to humanity, and to spreading the divine message of peace.
On this day, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Fouad Twal officially launched the CCSM to serve as a beacon of sincerity, loyalty, and a sincere message of love for the homeland, for the noble Jordanians, and for the entire humanity at large.
The CCSM, affiliated with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and functioning under the aegis of the Latin Vicariate in Amman, is the brainchild of Fr. Dr. Rif’at Bader. This center, with a handful members of staff, has outshined several media centers worldwide as it has all the time been crossing all borders, and becoming one of the main reliable and genuine sources that conveys a sound image of media based on true judgment, as well as news items and articles that disseminate love, equality, common living and loyalty to the homeland.
The CCSM has made landmark and resounding achievements locally, regionally, and internationally. It fulfills the purpose of enhancing and promoting the intellectual and media movements within the Jordanian society and abroad, while expressing permanent readiness to focus on issues of concern to humanity, commensurate with its slogan, “Media for Humanity through the Culture of Encounter”.
Over the past ten years, the CCSM was able to obtain a firm foothold in the Arab Christian media by being open to the fraternal Churches in a lofty ecumenical spirit, as well as by maintaining cordial relations with religious leaders who regularly contribute by writing articles, and with others who initiate seminars and pastoral activities.
As the CCSM calls for the attainment of brotherly relations between Muslims and Christians, it regularly organized and participated in a number of relevant conferences, seminars and workshops. The CCSM also maintains that dialogue is not the ultimate destination but rather a transient stage leading to the final destination, namely to the stage of citizenship and equality among the various components of the society.
CCSM’s goals
The CCSM aims at introducing enlightenment in the public opinion, shedding light on the concept of faith, promoting Christian unity in Jordan and worldwide, consolidating the Christian presence in the Middle through the Latin Patriarchate organizations and the churches in general, as well as reinforcing good citizenship based on equality in rights and duties.
The CCSM also strives to strengthen inter-religious dialogue, establish relations with people who live the Diaspora, promote religion in the service of peace, and encourage pilgrimage to Jordan being part of the Holy Land.
The CCSM serves as a regional oasis that disseminates love and understanding among the various components of the Jordanian society. This center has two electronic websites one in Arabic (www.abouna.org) and an English-language website (en.abouna.org). Both sites post news items that reflect local and regional affairs touching on religious and political affairs. The Arabic-language website is intended for Arabic-language speaking people in the region and abroad, while the English-language site targets all those interested to get acquainted with Middle Eastern Christian and global affairs worldwide.
At the Jordanian level, the CCSM held and participated in a number of conferences, seminars and workshops that aim at entrenching peace, solidarity and cooperation. It plays a vital role while concentrating on various local issues, among which are religious freedom as well as the school curricula and their role in promoting harmony.
The CCSM objectives can be summed up in the following points, namely covering of Church news; enlightening the public opinion with human morality through the media; encouraging priests, laymen, and laywomen to express their opinions through publishing their articles, homilies and points of view; promoting the culture of encounter, dialogue, understanding, and cooperation in Jordan, the Holy Land, the East, and the entire world; consolidating the Christian presence in the East; propagating of Arab Christian heritage; promoting good citizenship, based on equality, rights and duties; promoting interaction between followers of different religions, especially Muslim-Christian dialogue; disseminating the culture of religion at the service of peace, justice and human rights; nurturing the proper use of media and the application of media ethics; promoting religious tourism and pilgrimage to the Holy Land, including Jordan, the country of Jesus’ Baptism, promoting care for the environment which is the common home of humanity; and highlighting the activities of the Christian institutions in the Holy Land by helping them attain good media coverage.
CCSM Director Fr. Rif’at Bader is a hero who acts behind the scenes, while always being the spiritual doctor who instills tranquility. With words expressing gratitude and appreciation to the sublime role played by the CCSM which embodies exorbitant gracious efforts, the CCSM deserves indefinite support so as to be able to continue its message that exudes pacification and tranquility.
By Munir Bayouk/en.abouna.org
