Pope John Paul II on Saturday urged parents to exercise greater control over their children's television viewing habits, saying the media sometimes promoted divorce, abortion and homosexuality while giving less weight to family values.
In a message released in advance of World Communications Day on May 23, the pope said family life is "all too often inadequately protrayed in media".
On the other hand, "positive support is at times given to divorce, contraception, abortion and homosexuality," John Paul II's message said.
"Such portrayals are detrimental to the common good of society," he said.
The same media which provide information, education, cultural expansion and spiritual growth, also have the capacity to do "grave harm to families by presenting an inadequate or even deformed outlook on life".
Parents should strictly limit the use of television in the home and provide an example for their children in their own "thoughtful and selective use" of television.
Parents, communications professionals and educators are all called upon to exercise "wisdom and discernment" in the use of television.
John Paul II also highlighted the "enormous positive potential for promoting sound human and family values" of the media. But he urged professional communicators to recognise their "moral responsibility" to exercise "wisdom, good judgement and fairness in their presentation of issues involving sexuality, marriage and family life."
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