CATHOLIC VOICES began with a single aim: to ensure that Catholics and the Church were well represented in the media when Pope Benedict came to the UK in September 2010. Inspired by that visit, it has become much more: a school of a new Christian humanism; and the laboratory of a new kind of apologetics.

1. How to defend the faith
without raising your voice

2. A project for the
Papal Visit to UK in
September 2010

3. Feb 2010: Selection of speakers

4. Mar-Jul 2010: Training – briefing sessions

5. • Equality Legislation and Freedom of Conscience
• The Church and Politics
• Social Teaching of the Church
• Clerical Sexual Abuse
• Population, Development, AIDS
• The purpose of human sexuality
• The Church and Science
• Abortion / stem-cell research / assisted dying
• The Papacy / The Vatican / Cost of the visit
• Pius XII, anti-Semitism

6. Mar-Jul 2010: Training – media skills

7. • Understand role of media
• Media hold people and institutions to account,
including the Church
• Media have the right to ask hard questions

8. Sep 2010: Presentation to media

9. 16-19 Sep 2010: Papal Visit - 100 programmes

11. • Angry: media are against us, us and
them
• Defensive: appeal to our freedom
• Superficial: overcoming crisis without
using it

12. It’s not a question of surviving the
storm but of dancing in the rain!

13. …it had never occurred to me that behind each
question, however hostile, there is always a
value and that most times it’s a Christian value…

14. • Understand case against the
Church
• Find positive intention
• Agree with positive intention
• Start your response there

15. 1. Look for positive intention behind the criticism
2. Shed light, not heat
3. People won’t remember what you said as much as how you
made them feel
4. Show, don’t tell
5. Think in triangles
6. Be positive
7. Be compassionate
8. Check your facts but avoid robotics
9. It’s not about you
10. Witnessing, not winning

17. • 2010 in London
• 2011 in Leeds
• 2012 in Bristol
• 2013 …

19. • Blessing from local
bishops
• People from different
groups, organisations
and parishes
(excluding those
alienated from the
authorities)
• Positive attitude to
the media (10
principles)

21. 300 applications, 71 interviews, 20 speakers, 8 weeks training,
54 appearances in media…

27. www.catholicvoices.org.uk

29.  Use non-religious arguments
 Not based on condemnation of
homosexuality

30.  Not about equality, or gay
rights
 Not about extending
marriage to homosexuals
but about redefining
marriage
 A redefinition of marriage
affects us all
 What is marriage and why
the state supports it
 Many ways to bring up
children but one is
supported by the
government

31. Survey on attitudes
Agree Disagree Don’t
% % know
Marriage is important to society and should be 68 19 13
promoted by the state
Although death or divorce may prevent it, children 84 9 7
have the best chance in life if raised by their own
mother and father in a stable, committed relationship
Stable relationships between same-sex couples 59 23 18
should be legally recognised through the civil
partnership scheme
Marriage should continue to be defined as a life-long 70 22 9
exclusive commitment between a man and a woman

36. 25 media interventions

37. • Revive the art of apologetics for the era
of 24-hour news
• Make Catholics confident in
communication
• Spread idea of the vocation of the
Catholic communicator

38. The Church needs your voice