USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Around the Corner -- Media Advisory, February 2001

Around the Corner -- Media Advisory, February 2001

WASHINGTON (January 12 2001) -- Movies Help People Fall in Love With Love

Our hearts turn to valentines in February, and the movies have always been a place to see love blossom. "At their best, movies have the power to make us fall in love with love," says Gerri Par�, Director, USCC Office of Film and Broadcasting (OFB). What romantic notions will the cenema bring this February? On both a website (www.nccbuscc.org/movies) and a phone line (1-800311-4CCC), OFB film reviews include a brief synopsis, a USCC age suitability rating, and the Motion Picture Association of America rating. Sponsored by the Catholic Communication Campaign, the website includes an alphabetical archive of past film and family video reviews. "The OFB Film Line and website add a moral component to a film's attributes, over and above its artistic merits or potential box office appeal," says Ms. Par�.

Gerri Par� is available at 212/644-1894.

Valentines Day a Time to Focus on Love

Although the liturgical bases for commemorating St. Valentine are somewhat shakey, the holiday is a time to evaluate relationships, reaching towards sustaining love and friendship in a culture that is often counter to those ideals. "Some of our 'reality-based' television programs create their own reality, and can be pretty distorted," says Richard McCord, Director of the Office of Family, Laity, Women and Youth. "The premise of a show like Desert Island, that fidelity is optional and that the temptation to be unfaithful is somehow exciting is very misleading. In fact, commitment and fidelity enhance love and romance, they don't detract from it." The Church's marriage preparation and enrichment programs emphasize ways to build habits of commitment.

Richard McCord is available at 202/541-3040.