Catholic Information Center on Internet

Catholic Information Center on Internet has as its mission to make the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of the teachings and the activities of the Roman Catholic Church, and of the statements of the Popes readily available to as many people as practicable. Non-Catholics and Catholics are all welcome to use all of our facilities without charge. Contributions, however, are welcome and can be donated through our guest book.

Catholic Information Center on Internet (CICI) is taking advantage of new means of communication made possible by advances in technology to share the treasures of the Catholic faith with the world. CICI seeks to disseminate the truth of the Roman Catholic Faith and matters culturally, socially, and intellectually associated with it in accord with the norms and teachings of the magisterium via the Internet. CICI combines the idea of the virtual storefront with the concept of religious reading rooms to offer a wide range of information about the Catholic faith, the Church's teachings, and moral issues confronting the world. CICI responds to the Pope's and Second Vatican II's call for laity to become evangelists by using the latest technology and the enormous potential of the Internet to reach people worldwide.

CICI is a central directory and premier source of Catholic information on the Internet. CICI provides links to other Catholic Internet sites and access to church documents, information on Catholic organizations, Catholic periodicals and books, a forum for questions and answers, and will provide homepages for all dioceses and other relevant information. CICI provides access to information and creates a strong and unified Catholic presence on the Internet through a directory of and links to Catholic Internet sites. CICI is a valuable resource to scholars, journalist, lay people, and clergy seeking information or forums which reflect the genuine teachings of the Church.

Via the Internet CICI can reach people throughout the world, both inside and outside the Church, especially people who may not be reached otherwise: people in rural areas who may not have ready access to such information, those who live in countries where religious information is restricted, and young people who compose a majority of Internet users.

The number of Internet users is increasing rapidly. Today there are over 50 million Internet users and it is predicted the number of Internet users will reach 200 million within the next four years. Making Catholic information easily accessible on the Internet allows people to obtain this information at their convenience, from direct sources, and in a non-threatening way. People can get this information anonymously from the privacy of their home or office, free from anxiety caused by societal, governmental, or peer pressure. People can find answers to questions or pursue a specific interest before they become distracted or lose interest and when they have the time, without making a trip to a library or waiting for a response from their local diocese or parish. Having a central directory of Catholic information on the Internet allows direct dissemination of information without interpretation or distortion, by-passing hostile governments and media.

CICI, through its ability to pursue the Internet to communicate effectively and respond to a broad spectrum of interests in a variety of ways, demonstrates that the Church is still relevant today. CICI addresses current events and topics of interest through it Issues and Facts forum and by carrying several leading Catholic periodicals. Visitors can find information on health care reform, evolution, marriage and divorce, abortion, Galileo, Catholic social teaching, volunteer opportunities, Church Councils, liturgy, the saints, art, and much more. CICI's site is designed to be of interest to all people but is especially effective in reaching young people through a medium that they are attracted to and understand.

Already CICI has seen a great response. CICI made its debut on September 20, 1995. There is on average over 3,000 visitors per day. During the Holy Father's visit in the Fall of 1995, for which CICI offered special coverage, there were as many as 10,000 visitors a day. CICI's audience is bound to increase as more people become aware of CICI, more services are offered, and the number of Internet users increases.