Himmelklar – The Catholic podcast
The CDU politician Ruprecht Polenz discovered a new passion in retirement: Twitter and Facebook. What is social media doing to society? And why is the church not present there as it should be?
By Renardo Schlegelmilch | Munich – 16.06.2021
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The former CDU general secretary Ruprecht Polenz discovered social media for himself in retirement. In 2019 he was even awarded the “Golden Blogger” award in the Newcomer category. As an outsider, he looks at the digital engagement of the churches and finds: The church has not yet fully arrived at the Internet.
Question: In 2020 you received the “Golden Blogger” award in the Newcomer category for your commitment to social media. You actively participate in discussions on Facebook, Twitter and co. Part. – When you look at the churches’ digital engagement, what do you come across?
Polenz: I can already see that it is Accounts are from the church sectorthat I also follow. Of course, this also has to do with the algorithm that I am presented with. There may be things that are very good that unfortunately I haven’t seen yet.
There are also individual persons who more often refer to ecclesiastical, biblical content and messages. So, for example, when it comes to church holidays, one is greeted with a Bible verse or “Happy Pentecost” is wished. I also notice that. I think that’s nice too. But I am aware that many who read this have no reference to it at first. We all know the statistics on church affiliations in Germany. But I think it’s right to take such positions as well.
Question: But you do not see a Catholic Karl Lauterbach, who was intensely involved in debates via Twitter and Facebook during the pandemic?
Polenz: No, I don’t see that. Unfortunately, we now have the problem that the moral authority of the church has been broken and that there is of course an opportunity to express oneself on ethical and moral issues in our society, but one has to worry whether people will accept it. One speaks of morality when vaccinating, for example, that one has to prioritize the high-risk groups and then all the questions come up again, which the church now has so hard to bear.
Of course, I think that this hinders the possibility, also in the social media, of credibly expressing itself as a church on the ethical and moral questions or on the ethical and moral dimensions of political questions in our time. That is unfortunately the case.
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Due to the crisis in the church, there is a risk that people will not accept statements, says Ruprecht Polenz. This also applies to social media.
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Question: The church has lost too much credibility to be authentic and credible on social media?
Polenz: No, I wouldn’t put it that harshly, it would impair your ability to influence. Now that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t. The church should think about how to regain that credibility or weight.
Of course, that also works by adding arguments to the political questions of the time from a Christian point of view. Of course, the church can and should attempt to portray the connection between the preservation of creation and climate protection in an appropriate manner. But perhaps not by commenting on individual instruments, but by promoting the principle, which is still ignored by a not very small section of society.
Question: What role does the term authenticity play in this? You can see especially with influencers that they are perceived as individuals with their opinion and not necessarily through the proclamation of an organ.
Polenz: It cannot just be announced. If opinions are posted on the Internet, that’s all well and good. But that’s not what will really get you anywhere. So it would be good if that were associated with faces. They could be bishops, but they could also be others. They would only have to be recognizable as connected with the church in order for it to be attributed to the church.
Question: How does that look in practice? What are they missing from the church’s digital presence?
Polenz: Clergymen preach on Sunday. If you are convinced that this is a good thing that perhaps even more should be heard than the church, which is weakly filled – and not just during Corona times, you could get the idea of simply putting it online. But maybe you are not so convinced or you don’t have the technology. In any case, it doesn’t happen.
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I am here in an otherwise very progressive, ecumenically oriented parish, but there is still no newsletter. So we still have this announcement leaflet, which is on display in the back of the church and if you don’t come to church, you just don’t know what’s going to happen in the next week.
Question: And do you need authenticity again?
Polenz: Yes, but I mean anyway that the church has not yet fully arrived at the Internet in large parts. The thought has been bothering me for a long time. I am here in an otherwise very progressive, ecumenically oriented parish, but there is still no newsletter. So we still have this announcement leaflet, which is on display in the back of the church and if you don’t come to church, you just don’t know what’s going to happen in the next week.
While there is a homepage and brochures, there is no newsletter because the Church simply does not go out to ask its members for their email address. That is actually the smallest multiplication table.
Question: But what is the problem? Is there a lack of knowledge, a lack of will, the lack of professional competence?
Polenz: It may well be that, similarly, as in some cases in the teaching staff, those who are now in charge and have the say belong to a generation that did not grow up with the Internet. But of course there are others in each parish council. Therefore, in the end, that cannot be an obstacle. And I mean, right down to the things that we have all learned about Zoom and other tools, there would actually be completely different options, including care for the elderly – even for the very local parish that are not used.
We have now seen in many cases that the children have set up tools for their parents so that they can see themselves in the picture during the Corona period. That is why there are now probably more devices, including in the households of older people, including those who may no longer be able to walk so easily and who could be easily reached using such a tool. Anyway, you can try it out. You could also combine it with an analogue neighborhood service and say: We could offer that. Should one of us come by and arrange it so that you can then – for example – be virtually at the fair at the weekend? So I think there is still quite a lot of potential – and I’m only talking about the local church community now – that has not really been exploited yet.
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By Renardo Schlegelmilch
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