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home > Vatican
Radio Profile
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VATICAN
RADIO PROFILE
Introduction/Programmes/
Tasks/ Structure
INTRODUCTION
Vatican
Radio is the broadcasting station of the Holy See, legally recognised
by the international bodies. It is a means of communication and evangelisation
created to serve the Pope's ministry. Vatican Radio has a legal status
and is located in Vatican City. Its main task is to proclaim the Christian
message, freely, faithfully and efficiently, and keep in contact the
centre of Catholicism with the rest of the world. It was inaugurated
by Pius XI (Radio message Qui arcano Dei) on February 12th 1931, and
is an active member and founder of the EBU (European
Broadcasting Union, in Geneva) of the URTI (International Radio
and Television University, in Paris) and member of the URTNA (Union
of African National Radio and Television in Dakar). Vatican Radio
represents the Holy See at the ITU (International Telecommunication
Union, in Geneva) and at the CEPT (European Conferences of Post and
Telecommunication Administrations). Vatican Radio however is not an
official body of the Holy See and therefore takes full responsibility
for the contents of its programmes.
PROGRAMMES
Vatican
Radio broadcasts Church and religious news, offering the kind of information
which cannot be found in other media. Firstly it informs on events and
activities of the Pope and the Holy See. Vatican Radio also covers political,
social and economic affairs not only in the religious context, but also
to help Christians to see in them the signs of the times and to encourage
them to behave and take decisions in the light of their own faith. Through
its liturgy programmes, Vatican Radio offers to its listeners, especially
to those who are isolated or restricted in their religious freedom,
a chance to follow spiritual events and worship. For a vaster audience,
Vatican Radio broadcasts the celebrations presided over by the Holy
Father in order to deepen the communion of the Church with the Successor
of Peter. The programmes of Vatican Radio are for the most part dedicated
to the various permanent aspects of the Christian Catechesis: the Word
of the Lord, the Church and Patristic tradition, theology, Christian
ethics, the Social Doctrine of the Church, Church history and Christian
associations. A special attention is given to ecumenism and to inter-religious
dialogue, especially in those programmes which are addressed to parts
of the world where Christians are a small minority. A fair consideration
is also given to human culture and arts, especially music, more suitable
to the technical features of this means of communication, in accordance
with a long Church tradition.
TASKS
Vatican
Radio offers its collaboration and advice on broadcasting issues to
dioceses or Episcopal Conferences. Vatican Radio also assures the broadcasting,
diffusion and distribution of international
sound of all papal activity, inside and outside the Vatican. Moreover
Vatican Radio is entrusted with the task of keeping and preserving the
recordings of all the papal speeches and ensuring that their pastoral
character and copyrights are protected when used by another organisation.
STRUCTURE
The
Holy See has entrusted the management of Vatican Radio to the Society
of Jesus. With regards to its organisation, Vatican Radio has a General
Management which is the head of its three main Departments: Programmes,
Technical and Administrative. The General Director is Father Pasquale
Borgomeo; the Director of Programmes is Father Federico Lombardi; the
technical Director is Father Lino Dan and the administrative Director
is Mr Alberto Gasbarri. The specific activity of an international radio
like Vatican Radio needs a highly qualified editorial and technical
staff and an efficient organisation both essential for the attainment
of its objectives. The editorial staff as the Language Programmes are
composed of groups of chief editors and heads of departments who are
charged with planning, producing and broadcasting the programmes. Most
of the financial resources needed by Vatican Radio to pay its staff
and cover its general expenses come from donations offered by the faithful
to support the pastoral work of the Holy See.
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