The International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP), after many years of worthwhile service to the mission of evangelization through the press, has in recent years been living through a worsening crisis of governance. The Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, in accordance with their respective responsibilities, have attentively followed this situation which has resulted in the subsequent invalidation of the General Assemblies which took place in Canada (2007), Rome (2008) and Burkina Faso (2010).
On various occasions, the Holy See has made known to the authorities of UCIP its perplexity in the face of the unacceptable lack of transparency and clarity in the management of the organization under the direction of its Secretary General. On the 23rd of March of this year, the situation brought about the withdrawal by the Pontifical Council for the Laity of the canonical recognition of UCIP as a private association of the Christian faithful – a decision communicated to the membership by way of a formal letter to the President.
Said letter specified inter alia:
“Confronted with such a situation, the Holy See cannot remain silent and inactive; therefore, with the agreement of the Secretariat of State and having consulted the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in accordance with Canon 326 §1 of the code of Canon Law, revokes the Decree of Recognition of UCIP dated the 15th December 2004. From now on, UCIP must remove from its name the adjective Catholic (cf. Canon 300 of the Code of Canon Law)”.
In his only response, the Secretary General of the organization previously called UCIP on the 24th April informed the members of the transformation of UCIP into ICOM (International Catholics Organization of the Media) and announced that its first assembly would take place in November 2011. This act has been strongly disapproved of by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications which do not recognize said organization which continues to claim the title Catholic. Moreover, the so-called ICOM has unjustly appropriated for itself the intellectual, financial and historical patrimony of UCIP as well as the logo and web-site.
Both Pontifical Councils re-affirm their gratefulness to all the members of UCIP, who have been disenfranchised by recent management, for their great service in past years and encourages them to spread the Gospel in the world of print media. At the same time, the Councils assure them that they are examining new forms of association to propose to those journalists who wish to remain in communion with the Catholic Church.
From the Vatican, 15 July 2011
Most Rev. Claudio Maria CELLI H.Em. Card. Stanisław Ryłko
President President
Pontifical Council for Social Communications Pontifical Council for the Laity
