‘The Catholic Church in a Digital World’ and ‘Preaching to the Converted’ are two themes that Bishop Paul Tighe will address at the Web Summit in Lisbon this week.
The Web Summit is Europe’s largest technology marketplace, with over 53,000 attendees looking to make industry connections and discuss the effects of technology on our society and even our spirituality.
The themes which Bishop Tighe will address will form part of a conversation about communications and culture at this year’s Web Summit.
Bishop Paul Tighe was born in Ireland in 1958. He attended school in Navan, Co Meath and completed his secondary education at Summerhill College, Sligo. He graduated from UCD in 1979 with a degree in civil Law. Having studied for the priesthood at Clonliffe College in Dublin, and at the Irish College in Rome, he was ordained in 1983. His first appointment was as parish chaplain and teacher in Ballyfermot.
Later he studied at the Gregorian University in Rome and in 1990 was appointed lecturer in Moral Theology at the Mater Dei Institute in Dublin and Clonliffe College. He was appointed head of the Theology Department in 2000. In 2004, he was named director of the Communications Office of Dublin Diocese and established its Office for Public Affairs in 2005.
In January 2007 he was appointed chaplain to Pope Benedict XVI and appointed Very Reverend Monsignor. In November of that year Pope Benedict announced his appointment as Secretary of the Vatican’s Council for Social Communications.
Bishop Tighe worked for eight years as secretary to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications where as part of his work he travelled to Asia, Africa, North and Latin America advising church bodies and church media on best practice in relation to inter-facing with social media.
Bishop Tighe was part of the team which promoted the Pope’s twitter handle @Pontifex and developed the very popular ThePopeApp for mobiles, and www.news.va which makes all the Holy See’s media available on one website.
Last November in Maynooth Bishop Tighe delivered the keynote address ‘The Church in a Digital World – Sharing The Good News’ on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Communications Office.
In December 2015 Pope Francis appointed Bishop Tighe as assistant secretary to the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture.
The Web Summit is taking place from 7 – 10 November in Lisbon, Portugal. In six years, the Web Summit has grown from 400 attendees to over 50,000 attendees from more than 150 countries.
ENDS
