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‘Who Know Where They Stand’: Catholic Voices and the Papal Visit to the UK

A few months before Pope Benedict XVI arrived in the UK for his historic visit, the Catholic Voices project set out to ensure that it would be a media success.

Using insights and experiences gained from their 2006 experience responding to the Da Vinci Code film, the authors created a team of 25 ‘media-friendly, studio-ready and ego-free’ lay Catholics.

The success of Catholic Voices, which has developed a new kind of apologetics for the era of 24-era news, has inspired similar efforts in other countries.

Packed with details, tips and reflections, Who Know Where They Stand tells the story from the inside: where the idea came from, how it was established, and how the trainings and briefings were organised. It is an indispensable handbook for anyone passionate about communicating the Church.

Jack Valero, spokesman for Opus Dei in the UK, was press officer for the beatification of Cardinal Newman during the papal visit. Austen Ivereigh, spokesman for the former Archbishop of Westminster, is a journalist and commentator.


CONTENTS:

Preface by Archbishop Vincent Nichols
Introduction
 
I      INSPIRATION
1. Opus Dei and the Da Vinci Code
2. The Da Vinci Code Response Group
3. What we learned
 
II     CREATION
1. Securing patrons
2. Designing the programme
3. Recruitment & selection
 
III   PREPARATION
1. The briefings
2. Media skills training
3. On retreat
 
IV   PAPAL VISIT
1. Announcing ourselves
2. Debates
3. The blog
4. During the visit
 
V     RESPONSES
1. Media
2. General Public
3. Catholic Voices
 
VI  LEGACY
1. Dialogues with humanists
2. Inspiring others
3. Since the papal visit
 
Epilogue
 
The book is available from the University of the Holy Cross (see link below).
 
Author: 
Austen Ivereigh
Jack Valero
Publisher: 
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome)
Amazon Link: 
http://www.libreriadelsanto.it/libri/9788883332708/who-know-where-they-stand.htm...
I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men [and women] who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold and what they do not, who know their creed so well that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it. I want an intelligent, well-instructed laity - I wish...to enlarge [their] knowledge, to cultivate [their] reason, to get an insight into the relation of truth to truth, to learn to view things as they are, to understand how faith and reason stand to each other, what are the bases and principles of Catholicism...
Blessed John Henry Newman

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