Regulations for audio-visual coverage
of ceremonies and places directly dependent on the Holy See
(February, 2002)

INTRODUCTION

The development of the technology of social communications and the number of Vatican entities that deal with the various sectors of the mass media require the revision of the Regulations for audio-visual coverage of ceremonies and places directly dependent on the Holy See published in 1964 by the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications

In order to facilitate the evangelizing mission of the Apostolic See, these Regulations, which re-order the access to the Vatican of entities for audio-visual coverage and the production of audio-visual material, intend to promote the participation of various audio-visual producers, avoiding any monopoly while at the same time ensuring the equitable operation of audio-visual services.

REGULATIONS

Art. 1

The present Regulations have the aim of:
a) favoring as much as possible the acceptance of requests for audio-visual coverage of ceremonies or of places directly dependent on the Holy See that through their purpose and with their quality contribute to informing public opinion in an accurate and helpful way;
b) facilitating the carrying out of this coverage, ensuring all due respect for the religious and moral mission of the Holy See and taking care that there is no disturbance of the religious functions and ceremonies or of the activities of the Offices of the Holy See.

Art. 2

These Regulations apply to all live and recorded television programs, cinematography, photography, radio and other recordings, destined for public information, requested and carried out by any person or entity, regarding:
a) religious functions or ceremonies that take place in the presence of the Holy Father;
b) events that take place under the direct responsibility of the Holy See or of one of its entities;
c) persons, places, buildings and works of art which are found in the territory of the State of Vatican City and in the extraterritorial zones dependent on the Holy See.

Art. 3

a) The broadcasts that in special cases have been directly authorized by the Holy Father, those made by the Vatican Television Centre (Centro Televisivo Vaticano CTV) and those made by Vatican Radio (Radio Vaticana), destined for their programs, even if broadcast by relay abroad, are not subject to the norms of the present Regulations.
b) Radio coverage of ceremonies broadcast by Vatican Radio can be done only through a link-up with the Radio. The telecasting of ceremonies covered by the Vatican Television Centre may be done through a link-up with the Centre.
c) The admission of producers to cover ceremonies (either for direct transmission or for the production of news material) is authorized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, respecting what is established in art. 7 d) below.

Art. 4

Persons or entities that wish to take footage or recordings as described in Art. 2 must present a written request to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Vatican City, in order to obtain the necessary authorization.

Art. 5

A request to carry out this coverage must be signed by the person who is making the request or by a legal representative of the petitioning entity, and it may be accompanied by a recommendation from the competent ecclesiastical authority.
Such a request must reach the Pontifical Council for Social Communications well in advance of the date of the desired coverage.

Art. 6

The request regarding the coverage must be detailed, indicating the following:
a) a precise list of the persons, places and ceremonies and the dates intended for the coverage;
b) the purpose of the production; if it is a documentary, a copy of the script must be presented with the request; if it is a television or multimedia production, it will be necessary to mention the theme that is planned and its development; if it is for a musical production, the relevant texts must be presented;
c) the description of the broadcast of the images, of recordings or of footage (the date of transmission, the precautions taken regarding the eventual inserting of commercial advertising etc.);
d) precise information regarding the personnel and the equipment that are intended to be used for the coverage.
In no case will the Council accept a request for a production which belongs to the genre of fiction or which proposes to use actors.

Art. 7

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications:
a) examines the request and evaluates the possibility of granting it;
b) verifies whether the coverage requested corresponds to what is set out in art. 1 of the present Regulations;
c) if it is coverage of greater importance, above all with reference to the Person of the Holy Father, informs the Secretariat of State of His Holiness and carries out the instructions received (The Secretariat of State, in special and urgent cases, will grant the necessary authorization, notifying the Pontifical Council);
d) when it is television coverage, informs the Vatican Television Centre, statutory holder of the right and duty of television coverage within the territory of Vatican City State, and - in agreement with the Centre - makes sure that rights associated with the coverage are governed by an appropriate agreement;
e) when it is coverage that involves an entity of the Holy See or of the Vatican City State, will ask the advice of the entity in question regarding the appropriateness of granting authorization to the producers requesting it; after they have obtained the nulla osta from the Pontifical Council, the producers must arrange for the rights of the coverage and the mode of access directly with the entities interested, through agreements;
f) ensures opportune and competent religious advice during the coverage.

Art. 8

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications, once it has viewed the agreement with the relevant entities in charge, gives the authorization to the requesting party to carry out the coverage and informs the Vatican City State Police Force, which has the duty of enforcing the dispositions relative to the coverage.
If the following commitments have not been ratified by signed agreements, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, before authorizing the request, asks that the contracting party agree in writing to respect them, according to the following indications:
a) to maintain and have observed by all who are employed for the coverage the maximum respect for the sacred places and for everything that concerns the Person of the Supreme Pontiff;
b) in particular cases, to give a preview of the material or program to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications before it is transmitted;
c) to use the material filmed and the sound track exclusively for the purpose for which the coverage has been authorized;
d) to deliver by the agreed date a copy of the finished production in a professional format to the Vatican Film Library (cfr Statute of the Vatican Film-Library, art. 3, b, Acta Ap. Sedis, vol. 51, 1959, p. 875).¹

Art. 9

To use the filmed or recorded material for a purpose other than that for which the footage or recording have been authorized requires a new written authorization from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications which will consult the competent entities beforehand.

Art. 10

The personnel doing the coverage are required to conform to the dispositions of the Inspector General of the Vatican City State Police Force which is entrusted, in the sense of the preceding art. 8, with the supervision of the coverage itself.

Art. 11

In the case where the coverage of a single event is requested by several producers, the Pontificai Council for Social Communications will arrange an agreement among the parties, to avoid an excessive number of operators.

Art. 12

Entities of the Holy See and of Vatican City State, in the case of their own audio-visual productions exclusively regarding their places of competence, will ask the advice of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications about the projects proposed before arranging for audio-visual coverage, keeping in mind the responsibilities and purposes of the Vatican Television Centre and of Vatican Radio.

(1) In the case of television coverage, the eventual commitment of consigning a copy of the material recorded to the CTV Video Library will be specified in the agreement in accordance with art. 7, d.