Burkina Faso’s Philippe Cardinal Ouedraogo,

Burkina Faso’s Philippe Cardinal Ouedraogo, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou has challenged African film makers to rise to the occasion and penetrate the world of media with true ethical values ​​of the Gospel of Salvation brought by Jesus Christ.

The Cardinal was speaking recently when he presided over the opening Mass of the ongoing 2015 Pan-African Film and Television Festival at Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso.  The Cardinal warmly welcomed filmmakers, movie enthusiasts, producers, directors, technicians and actors to Ouagadougou and to the Eucharistic celebration. After the Mass, a reflection on the day for Christian film was held.

Speaking during the Mass, the Cardinal said, the Church supports cinema that promotes human and spiritual values.   "The Church continues to play an important role in the promotion of film that defends human and spiritual values,” he said.

Reflecting on whether  the relationship between the Church and cinema were a failed project, Cardinal Ouedraogo believes that the Church still has something to bring to cinema and cinema has something to contribute to the Church-family of God.  It was for this reason, the Cardinal said, that the Church actively participates during FESPACO and has had an award for the last forty years at the international film festival of Cannes. Similarly, the Church has had the SIGNIS award at FESPACO for many years.

Cardinal Ouedraogo  also spoke of the importance that the Catholic Church attaches to media as a vehicle for evangelization. He said one of the main activities of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of Burkina was the formation of future priests in seminaries in the study of film analysis. In other words, media education is important for the promotion of a healthy and good media usage.

The Cardinal acknowledged the importance of the media today. He said, “There is no doubt at all the that the media: radio, film, television etc. play a vital role in guiding and inspiring individual, family and social behavior in society,” He emphasised.

“The media ought to be the voice of those on the periphery, the undocumented  and to promote  human dignity,” Cardinal Ouedraogo said. He reminded the congregation that the media has a prophetic role in that it must denounce evil and injustice in society. In a special way, Christians who work professionally in the world of media should spread the Good, the True and The Beautiful and contribute to Evangelization.

(Fr. Paul Samasumo)

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