European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes sunday september 1, 1985vatican videos the papacy and the Media by . Dionne new York times t he Vatican which Over the decade has developed sophisticated press and radio operations is now trying to come to term with the video age. It is doing so by Means of the Vatican television Center which was founded in 1983 with the Mission of documenting All of Pope John Paul la s activities. The Center known As ctr alter its italian name is serving As a supplement to John Paul s Success in winning the Catholic Church an almost permanent place in the secular Media. More than just a technological device the Center is a Symbol for the kind of papacy John Paul is conducting. His friends and critics Alika refer to him As a populist a Label that refers As much to the methods he uses Aslo the Content of his ideas. His frequent trips abroad have provided him with vast new audiences. And the journeys Are organized not simply to reach those who turn out for the mass gatherings but for the millions More who watch on television. By travelling a much the Pope has created a series of events and backdrops that the Media often find themselves unable to resist. Television usually finds the Pope  said Richaro oth. A Rove a respondent for cd news Vic has accompanied Trio Pope on 17 of his 28 foreign trips. There Are three factors which i would refer to As exotica spectacle and politics. His trips Are a combination of All three and even when there is not news which would be the politics there is almost guaranteed exotica and spectacle. And what could be More exotic and spectacular than going to the heart of Africa Given the secular Media s fascination with the Pope what function is ctr to serve we Are not a network or a television  said Florenzo Tagliabue Secretary general of the Center. Its primary task he said is straightforward we record everything the Pope does in Public in the Vatican in Italy around the  archbishop John p. Foley head of the pontifical commission for social communications said ctr was More like a press office than a network. Just As the words and actions of the Pope Are documented in printed form by the press office and the newspaper Osse Valore Romano and in audio form by the Vatican radio he said so they Are documented in video form by  in doing this the Center attempts to fill gaps left by secular television coverage. For instance it records Public rosaries said by the Pope and his weekly Angelus. These Are mainly of interest to the devout unless the Pope uses the occasions to make statements on controversial Public questions. The recent Africa Irp offered other evidence of  role ctr plays. Ten Days before his departure the Pope sat Down with a ctr Crew at his summer residence Castel Gondolfo. And taped Brief messages Tor each of the seven countries he was to visit Tagliabue said. Generally they were simply greetings in which the Pope said How Happy he was to visit the country. Videotapes of the messages were shipped to the Vatican Nuncia Tures in the various countries and used in effect As promotional spots for the Pope s visit. They Are usually Given free to state television networks and other television stations interested in them. Egidio Maggioni. An official of the Vatican television operation said that the Africa trip underlined another ctr service it s important to understand that the television stations in Many third world countries have very Little Money. They Sumpty cannot afford to cover tha Pope. We can provide them with the footage they want and  thus he continued ctr plans to produce a documentary on the Africa trip aimed mainly Lor distribution to african television stations that were financially unable to cover the Pope s visit beyond their own countries. One of the most effective documentaries resulted from the Pope s visit last year to vietnamese refugees in Thailand. The narration was simply the Pope s address to a group of diplomats about the plight of the displaced. The conscience of humanity must be made Ever More aware of the evils of the situation the Pope declared while the pictures showed naked and half naked children. Archbishop Foley said among the most popular videotapes Are one of the popu s visit to the shrine at Lourdes and another called the Pardon on the Pope s prison visit to Mehmet All Aga the Man f convicted of shooting him. Will we someday find a John Paul video next to True latest Madonna Rock tape there have been some discussions Between Vatican officials and representatives of commercial distributors but Foley said that so tar the Vatican had preferred religious outlets. We want to be certain of the Charldee of the companies we re dealing with he said alluding to the Large Trade in pornographic videotapes. The Vatican Sells the distributor the rights to reproduce the tapes he said with further proceeds going to the distributor. One source of Money for the Vatican television Center which under its charter must be self financing. Is the Sale of videotapes from papal audiences. But to avoid a Trade in pure vanity shots with the Pope the Center Sells videos that include the Pope s message during the audience. We try to ensure that it fulfils a religious  the archbishop said. Tagliabue would not discuss the financing of the Center. Although the constant videotaping of the Pope is an expensive promo sign. Ctr is believed to be a Low budget  Headquarters Are crammed into a few rooms in a Comer of Vatican City and much of the equipment has been donated. A\\9 commercial network have feared that the creation of ctr would result in their having less Access to the Pope. Traditionally Pool coverage was in the. Hands of Rai the italian slate television network. Oct Vatican control of pictures of the Pope Ted to tears of censorship. Foley said that the Vatican had actively sought to avoid a  we always try to include other Media he said. In the occasional situation where Vatican television has an unexpected monopoly catching a scene just because it records the Pope everywhere the Center gives its film free to networks requesting it. In cases where networks could have had Access to a papal event but chose not to come he continued the Center charges a fee for the film. Foley said ctr was looking info projects on the Vatican s Art treasures its museum and Library and on St. Peter s Basilica. Longer term projects might involve programs on the lives of saints and on the relationship Between religion and culture. But Foley and Maggioni both said these projects were still some time away. We do everything according to the length of our Leet magi on said with a smile and we re still  pop John Paul ii on a visit to a Community in Northern Togo