Edwin Lopez, EWTN’s regional manager for Asia-Pacific for over twenty years, has been named the new executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Commission on Social Communications. Lopez is the first married layman to hold this position within the CBCP. He will continue his management role at EWTN while coordinating the CBCP commission's efforts to implement the bishops' pastoral goals through practical projects. EWTN leadership expressed pride in Lopez taking on this new role, emphasizing his extensive experience in Church communications in Asia and the Philippines. Lopez stated his intention to use his experience to emphasize that digital tools should enhance, not replace, relational communion in communication.
about 2 months ago
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has appointed Edwin Lopez as the new executive secretary of its Commission on Social Communications.1
This appointment was revealed during a recollection event for CBCP personnel and volunteers in Manila on January 14, 2026.1
Lopez has served as EWTN’s regional manager for Asia-Pacific for over two decades, marking more than 25 years with the network.1
He is the first married layman to hold this CBCP position and will retain his EWTN leadership role alongside it.1
Additionally, Lopez teaches philosophy and theology at San Carlos Seminary in Makati City and holds graduate degrees in business administration, international management, and development communication.1
In his new capacity, Lopez will act as the commission’s primary operational and coordinating leader.1
He will translate the bishops’ pastoral objectives into actionable projects and activities to enhance Church communications.1
Lopez succeeds Father Ildefonso “Ilde” Dimaano, who has been reassigned as spokesperson for CBCP president Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa.1
EWTN Chairman and CEO Michael Warsaw commended the appointment, highlighting Lopez’s expertise in strengthening Church communications during a critical period.1
Warsaw described Lopez as a dedicated advocate for the Church in Asia and the Philippines, whose service benefits both EWTN’s global mission and the Catholic Church.1
Lopez emphasized that digital tools can expand outreach and connections but cannot substitute for genuine relational communion.1
He drew on theological insight, noting that God sent himself in person rather than just a message, warning against confusing digital means with spiritual ends.1
Lopez views technologies like AI and media as servants that, when properly oriented, guide people toward relationships, communities, and the Eucharist.1
Evaluate the Catholic Church’s role in shaping digital communication ethics
The Catholic Church has long viewed the means of social communication, including the digital realm, as both a divine gift and a potential source of moral peril, actively shaping ethical standards through papal teachings, conciliar documents, and pastoral reflections. From early encyclicals on broadcasting to contemporary addresses on social media, the Church emphasizes principles like human dignity, truth, solidarity, and evangelization, urging communicators to subordinate technology to the Gospel. This evaluation highlights the Church's proactive role in fostering ethical digital practices, balancing opportunities for global unity with safeguards against manipulation and dehumanization.
The Church's involvement in communication ethics predates the internet, establishing a framework that naturally extends to digital technologies. In the mid-20th century, Pope Pius XII recognized the transformative power of radio, film, and television, warning that unchecked technical progress could enslave minds and souls unless guided by Christ's law. He stressed the need to protect the faithful from errors introduced by these media, calling for pastoral initiatives to ensure they serve God's glory and eternal salvation rather than temporal harms. This foundational concern—that innovations must align with divine providence—set the stage for later digital ethics.
By the 1970s, Pope Paul VI built on this by affirming mass media's evangelistic potential, describing them as modern pulpits capable of reaching multitudes with the Gospel. Yet, he cautioned that their use must pierce individual consciences, fostering personal commitment rather than superficial exposure. This dual emphasis on outreach and depth influenced the Church's approach to the internet's emergence. In 2001, Pope John Paul II urged the Pontifical Council for Social Communications to develop an "Ethics in Internet" document, recognizing cyber-communications' moral challenges amid globalization and deregulation. He positioned the Church not as a spectator but as an active guide, ensuring media serve human solidarity, justice, and truth over commercial or ideological agendas. These historical interventions demonstrate the Church's consistent role in moralizing technological evolution, adapting timeless principles to new mediums.
At the heart of the Church's guidance lies an anthropological vision, where digital communication must promote human dignity and the common good. The 2000 document Ethics in Communications adopts a positive stance, viewing media as gifts from God that, when ethically directed, enhance spiritual maturity and openness to others. It calls for communicators to apply moral principles faithfully, evaluating choices against the dignity of the person and the needs of the vulnerable. This ethic extends to the internet, as outlined in The Church and Internet (2002), which prescribes virtues like prudence (discerning good from evil), justice (bridging the digital divide), fortitude (defending truth against relativism), and temperance (disciplined use for good). Christ is presented as the "perfect communicator," the model for all media ethics.
Pope Benedict XVI deepened this in Caritas in Veritate (2009), rejecting the notion of neutral media and insisting they reflect universal values of charity, truth, and fraternity to civilize globalization. He warned against economic dominance or cultural imposition, advocating media that foster participation in justice and human development. These principles underscore the Church's role as a moral arbiter, transforming digital tools from mere instruments into spaces for ethical encounter and solidarity.
Recent popes have intensified the Church's influence on digital ethics, addressing social media's integration into daily life. Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2009 World Communications Day message, envisioned media fostering a "culture of respect, dialogue, and friendship" beyond mere connections. Pope Francis echoed this in Fratelli Tutti (2020), praising the internet's potential for unity and solidarity as a "gift from God," but decrying designs that exploit weaknesses or incite division. He urged communication to guide toward truth, service, and closeness to the marginalized, aligning with the Australian bishops' critique of exploitative digital worlds.
The 2023 pastoral reflection Towards Full Presence synthesizes these views, portraying social media as "spaces" for proclaiming the Good News, not just tools. It traces the Church's ongoing dialogue since Vatican II, emphasizing digital culture's impact on knowledge, information, and relationships. Most recently, Pope Leo XIV, in his 2025 address to Italian intelligence leaders, highlighted the digital revolution's dual edges: expanded possibilities alongside risks like fake news, privacy breaches, manipulation, blackmail, and hatred. He called for critical awareness to protect vital ethical issues, reinforcing the Church's prophetic voice in safeguarding human interaction. Through annual World Communications Day messages and dicastery documents, the Church continues to shape global discourse, prioritizing evangelization and ethical integrity.
The Church confronts digital ethics' complexities with nuance, particularly in areas of controversy like misinformation and vulnerability. While celebrating media's role in evangelization—echoing Paul VI's vision of laypeople infusing worldly spheres, including digital ones, with Gospel values—it warns of spiritual risks if ethics are subordinated to profit. Divergences in interpretation, such as balancing openness with protection, are clarified by prioritizing recent teachings: Pope Francis's integration of digital life into everyday ethics takes precedence over earlier, more analog-focused documents. Where sources like Miranda Prorsus focused on broadcast harms, modern ones like Towards Full Presence adapt to interactive platforms, urging proactive engagement.
The Church's influence extends beyond critique to formation: it equips the faithful and professionals with principles for ethical use, closing digital divides through solidarity. However, sources do not fully detail implementation strategies in emerging tech like AI, noting only general calls for prudence; further discernment is needed without overreaching. Overall, the Church acts as a moral compass, not imposing but inviting dialogue to humanize digital spaces.
In summary, the Catholic Church has profoundly shaped digital communication ethics through a legacy of teachings that affirm technology's potential while demanding its subjection to Gospel values. From Pius XII's warnings to Leo XIV's contemporary alerts, it promotes dignity, truth, and fraternity, guiding believers and society toward a communicative order that serves the human family and God's kingdom. This role remains vital, calling all to ethical stewardship in an ever-evolving digital landscape.