TY - JOUR T1 - The Use of Internet Communication by Catholic Congregations: A Quantitative Study JF - Journal of Media and Religion Y1 - 2007 A1 - Cantoni, L A1 - Zyga, S KW - Catholic KW - Catholic religious congregations KW - Computer KW - congregations KW - Contemporary Religious Community KW - cyberspace KW - email KW - internet KW - internet communication through an e-mail account KW - Mass media KW - network KW - New Media and Society KW - new media engagement KW - New Technology and Society KW - online communication KW - Online community KW - religion KW - religion and internet KW - Religion and the Internet KW - religiosity KW - religious engagement KW - religious identity KW - Religious Internet Communication KW - Religious Internet Communities KW - sociability unbound KW - Sociology of religion KW - users’ participation KW - virtual community KW - virtual public sphere KW - “media research” KW - “religion online” KW - “religious media research” AB - This article presents a first attempt to measure the use of the internet by all 5,812 Catholic religious congregations and autonomous institutes worldwide (with 858,988 members). The research was conducted through a questionnaire sent by e-mail, hence first selecting those institutions which at least have an access to internet communication through an e-mail account (2,285: 39.3% of the total), receiving 437 responses (19.1% of the e-mail owners). The study shows great differences between centralized institutes and autonomous ones: the former ones make a higher use of the Internet than the latter ones; moreover, differences are also found among centralized institutes, namely between male and female ones. Two explanatory elements have been found, both depending on the own mission (charisma) of institutes: (1) first, the different approach to the external world: the institutes more devoted to contemplation and less active in the outside world make limited and basic use of the Internet, if any; (2) second, institutes whose aim is to assist poor and sick persons tend to use the internet less than the others, due to their different prioritization of resources. VL - 6 UR - http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15348420701626797#.Uinxtsasim5 IS - 4 ER -