Wskazania Kościoła dotyczące czytelnictwa książek katolickich

Abstract

The book was the first in the series of mass communication. The Catholic book played and still plays an important role in the pastoral activity of the Church. The Church has always sought to support, organize and control religious reading. The invention of print, the appearance of a large number of books, and, eventually, the Reformation with its subjective interpretation of faith had brought about church censorship. The Church, however, never openly forbade reading Catholic books. Rather, she sought to control their reading. Such endeavours were designed to act on behalf of the good of the faithful. The teaching of the Church as regards reading Catholic books is therefore very rich. It contains some encouragement to read, and warns against bad books. In the pastoral practice of the Church the reading of the Holy Scripture, catechism, and prayer books has always been emphasized, for these books have an enormous influence on the religious formation of the faithful. At present, in the time of “picture civilization,” often shallow and non-reflective, a considerable stress should be laid in the pastoral activity of the Church on the organization, support, and development of the reading of Catholic books.