2014-11-19 14:30:00

Arcbhishop Kaigama tells Nigerian Catholic media to be proactive and concrete


(Vatican Radio) Nigeria’s Catholic media practitioners and professionals have been called upon to be more proactive in their apostolate by initiating concrete ways of using their professional calling.  In so doing, the work of evangelization will be enhanced. This is according to information made to Vatican Radio by the Catholic News Service of Nigeria.

The call was made by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria and Metropolitan of Jos Province, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama in his address at the opening ceremony of the 4th Regional Conference of Catholic Media Practitioners of Nigeria (CAMPAN) by Archdioceses and Dioceses of the Northern region of the country. The conference was held recently at the Sacred Heart Pastoral Centre, Jos.

Archbishop Kaigama, represented by Monsignor Benedict Obediegwu, reminded the delegates to the conference, of the important role of communication in the evangelization mission of the Church and the need for all of them to be proactive in discharging their professional duties in the service of the Church especially in a new digital era.

The Archbishops also told participants that communication is an indispensable tool and is of paramount importance in reaching out to proclaim the Good News of Christ. The Church, particularly in the North and Northeastern parts of the country was suffering immense persecution at the hands Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalists. Church media professionals therefore need to respond by using modern information technologies and tools to reach out to the people, defend the Church in the face of attacks and succinctly present her positions on  political and socio-economic issues within the context and teachings of the Church.  

In his own message to the participants, the Bishop of Shendam, Right Rev. James Daman OSA, urged the participants to be more committed to their apostolate, stressing the importance of collaboration in communication for evangelization. He stressed the need for responsible practice and discharge of entrusted duties with the view of promoting peace, harmony and cordial relationships among all people irrespective of their religious and ethnic differences.

The Jos Province state Commissioner for Information, Barrister Mrs. Olivia Dazyam, in her message to the conference  called on the participants to collaborate with government in educating and adequately informing the people on the happenings in the country. He called on Church media to be agents that promote peace, harmony and good governance through impeccable discharge of duty.

In his own goodwill message, the director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Fr. Christian Anyanwu called on Catholic media practitioners to collaborate if they are to be effective and results oriented. Fr. Anyanwu further reminded Catholic media practitioners and communicators that the challenges, in the present day world are many and enormous hence: “The need for us to collaborate and cooperate and build on the gains of the past to chart a better future in this era of digital communication.” He described Catholic media professionals as frontline foot-soldiers of Christ.

Goodwill messages were also delivered by the state Nigerian Union of Journalists Chairman, the national President of the Diocesan Directors of Social Communications, Rev. Fr. Anthony, who is also the Director of the Catholic Media Centre, Kaduna and Rev. Fr. Alex Dung, the Director of Communication of Jos Archdiocese.

The theme of the conference was: “Contemporary Media and Societal Challenges.” Pesentations were made by Fr. Patrick Alumuku, Director of Communications, Abuja Archdiocese, who spoke on "The people and ICT"; "Catholic Perspective." Mallam Abba Zayyan Abba, the Zonal Director of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna presented a paper was premised on the Importance of Cordial Interfaith Relationships.

(CNS of Nigeria)

e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va

 








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