In his Apostolic Letter on the means of social communication, John Paul II comforts us in our work. In Rapid Development, the Holy Father stresses how modern media, including internet, are a powerful tool of evangelisation.
However modest the experience of AsiaNews may be, it confirms John Paul's remarks: our information is increasingly used by Asian media, first and foremost Church media, Catholic and non catholic, because they feel bolstered in their mission. But our impact is not limited to Christians, many Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Taoists, etc. write to us. They are grateful for our information and have greater esteem for the small Churches on the vast Asian continent.
Our agency serves secular media in Asia as well. Arab, Indian, Chinese and Persian websites pass along our reports because our voice is freer than theirs and therefore more trustworthy to understand their own situation. This enables them to relay information that is less politically manipulated. What is more, keeping a free voice in Asia is another way of promoting evangelisation in Asia.
"Do not be afraid", the Pope told media operators in his Letter, and our experience speaks to this challenge. Online for just a year, the AsiaNews experience, which has existed on paper for 19 years (thanks to Piero Gheddo), has not been afraid of the lack of means, money and staff.
This small David has a few stones of its own to sling at Goliath. It was one such stone that enabled AsiaNews and other Christian websites to get Indian Christian Brian O'Connor out of a Saudi prison.
However, even David can't do everything and must rely on the 'God of the armies' for help, i.e. Divine Providence and the many benefactors who keep our work going. This is especially true in the case of China.
The Chinese government is indeed afraid of AsiaNews and other Christian sites. It regularly blocks our Chinese-language homepage. Yet many faithful in China have found a way around Beijing's blocking filters. By publishing and spreading our news, they make the Communist regime's large scale censorship machine look puny and useless.
One message from China says it all: "Thank you for your work and information; it gives us hope".
And indeed it is our hope that our service will inspire others in media, online for instance, to spread the love and truth of Christ in Asia and the world.