Several bishops of Italian dioceses have suggested their parishioners give up modern technology alongside meat on Fridays during Lent. Turin has suggested not watching television during the fast month, while Modena, southern Bari and a few other dioceses asked for a ban on text messaging on Fridays. The Modena diocese stated this is to draw attention to the conflicts in the Congo, which are often based around the control of Coltan mines: instrumental in the manufacture of mobile phones.
Trento has established a more thoughtful approach: a “new lifestyles” calendar with different suggestions for each week of Lent: taking public transport or bicycling to work, recycling, and an internet and iPod-free week of “silence”.
This may seem strange after the Vatican has begun to embrace modern social media and technologies (eg. their January launch of a Vatican YouTube channel), but is in line with Benedict’s admonition that, while such media create friendships and understanding, they are no replacement for real social bonding.
Apud Ariel David (AP) ‘Catholics are urged to give up texting for Lent‘.
