Many of the document's provisions still apply to the age of social networking and digital communications, said Divine Word Father Franz-Josef Eilers, former executive secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences - Office of Social Communication (FABC-OSC).

He encouraged the more than 30 bishops, priests, religious and lay people gathered at St. Paul's Pastoral Center, Hualien, Taiwan 14-19 November to look up the document and strive to realize its guidelines.

Quoting Cardinal Andreas Deskur, former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, which published the document on May 24, 1971, Fr. Eilers said, 'Communio et Progressio' remains the most professional document ever written on Church and social communication. "The most important (contribution of) this document is its pastoral dimension."

"Much has still to be done especially in view of media convergence and new technical developments in cyber-communication such as the possibility of 'e-vangelism'," Fr. Eilers said.

However, "the implementation of 'Communio et Progressio' depends very much on the openness and flexibility of bishops' conferences in appointing the proper persons, following up the proposals of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), as well as adjusting to local needs and cultures in a professional way."

"This includes theology, spirituality and proper Christian and Human Formation to develop communicative persons and not just 'technocrats' or 'technofreaks'," the priest added.

Fr. Eilers is now overall coordinator and teaches in the Master's in Theology major in Social/ Pastoral Communication (MAT-SPC) at the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He also directs the Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication (ARC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

He spoke at this year's "Bishops' Meet," the annual meeting of bishops responsible for social communications in Asian bishops' conferences. Themed "Social Networking for Pastoral Ministry," the meeting aims to explore the possibilities of social media for evangelization and pastoral ministry.

"Bishops' Meets" are organized yearly since 1996 by the Office of Social Communication of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC-OSC).