12. To all persons of good will. Finally, then, we would suggest some virtues that need to be cultivated by everyone who wants to make good use of the Internet; their exercise should be based upon and guided by a realistic appraisal of its contents.
Prudence is necessary in order clearly to see the implications—the potential for good and evil—in this new medium and to respond creatively to its challenges and opportunities.
Justice is needed, especially justice in working to close the digital divide—the gap between the information-rich and the information-poor in today’s world. This requires a commitment to the international common good, no less than the “globalization of solidarity”.
Fortitude, courage, is necessary. This means standing up for truth in the face of religious and moral relativism, for altruism and generosity in the face of individualistic consumerism, for decency in the face of sensuality and sin.
And temperance is needed—a self-disciplined approach to this remarkable technological instrument, the Internet, so as to use it wisely and only for good.
Reflecting on the Internet, as upon all the other media of social communications, we recall that Christ is “the perfect communicator” —the norm and model of the Church’s approach to communication, as well as the content that the Church is obliged to communicate. “May Catholics involved in the world of social communications preach the truth of Jesus ever more boldly from the housetops, so that all men and women may hear about 0the love which is the heart of God’s self-communication in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”
Pontifical Council for Social Communications
The Church and Internet
