Press Release July 9th 2014
Dublin Priest appointed to new Vatican Media Role
The Holy See has announced the appointment by Pope Francis of a Dublin priest to a new high profile committee tasked with reforming the Vatican media around the world.
Monsignor Paul Tighe, currently Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication has been appointed Secretary to a new Committee for Vatican media, headed up by experts from the Vatican and around the world. It will be chaired by former BBC Trust Chairperson, Lord Chris Patten.
Building on the recent positive experiences with initiatives such as the Pope App and the Pope’s Twitter Account, it is anticipated that digital channels in the Church will be strengthened by this group to ensure Pope Francis’ messages reach more people globally, especially young people.
The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, congratulated Mgr. Tighe on his new appointment. He said Mgr. Tighe is a person of integrity and competence, whose innovation in media relations is making a significant impact in the Universal Church.
The new committee will propose reforms for existing Vatican Media and is expected to publish a report and a reform plan within the next 12 months. It will look at adapting the Holy See media to changing media consumption trends, enhancing coordination of the various existing channels, making substantial financial savings.
The members of the committee come from Vatican staff and from senior international experts. They have been chosen for their expertise in communications while reflecting the universality of the Catholic Church.
Senior international experts: Lord Christopher Patten (UK, will act as President of the committee), Mr. Gregory Erlandson (USA), Ms. Daniela Frank (Germany), Fr. Eric Salobir OP (France), Ms. Leticia Soberon (Spain, Mexico), and Mr. George Yeo (Singapore).
Vatican staff: Mons. Paul Tighe (Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, will act as Secretary of the committee), Giacomo Ghisani (Vatican Radio), Mons. Carlo Maria Polvani (Secretariat of State), Mons. Lucio Adrián Ruiz (Vatican Internet Service) and Prof. Giovanni Maria Vian (L’Osservatore Romano).
Notes
Mons. Paul Tighe was born on the 12th February 1958. He attended the De La Salle Primary School, Navan and completed his secondary education at Summerhill College, Sligo. He graduated from University College Dublin in 1979 with a degree in Civil Law. Having studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross College, Dublin and at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, he was ordained a priest of the Dublin Diocese in 1983. His first appointment was as parish chaplain and teacher in Ballyfermot. Subsequently, he was assigned to study Moral Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. In 1990, he was appointed as a Lecturer in Moral Theology at the Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin and at Holy Cross College. In 2004, he was named as Director of the Communications Office of Dublin Diocese. In 2005, he established the Office for Public Affairs which aimed to promote the engagement of the Diocese with public institutions and civic society. In November 2007, he was appointed as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. ENDS
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