I’m not sure who would be more surprised to hear this, but the Pope and I agree. About one thing at least.
His Holiness recently encouraged Roman Catholic priests to reach out to their flocks at least in part via social media sites. He deserves credit for recognizing how much impact the internet has on even our most hallowed institutions. People aren’t coming to Mass like they used to, so the priests must go to the masses digitally.
Barack Obama used social media to help get elected, and companies like Pepsi will use it instead of splurging on Super Bowl ads. The most hidebound institutions have to acknowledge how the world is changing.
Anyone without an institutional mindset is going to be better prepared for the changes. One 88-year-old priest told a reporter that “young priests would have no trouble following the pope’s message, but, he joked, ‘those who have a certain age will struggle a bit more.’”
It’s a shock for many people to watch their once dependable institutions falter, or redefine themselves to benefit smaller groups of stakeholders. “We can count on the media, right?” they always reassured themselves. “And if a few big companies fail us, we can depend on the banks, right? And if the banks fail, the government will make sure we don’t lose everything, right?”
Of course the primary business of the media, big business, financial institutions, and the government has always been staying in business. Now social media sites and the blogosphere are mushrooming as fast as our skepticism about big institutions. They can sometimes offer more viable alternatives, too.
Maybe the Pope would even agree with the Talking Heads song: “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco.” This is survival. Individuals, like institutions, must change and tap into every available resource if they expect to make it through the next few years and beyond.
