Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has called on Bishops to increase financial support to the communication apostolate of the church as a way of making it competitive and effective against the secular media.
Director of social communication, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Rev. Fr. Moses Iorapuu made the call in his welcome address during the first Plenary of Association of Arch/Diocese/Religious Directors of Social communication in Nigeria, held at Pope John Paul II Pastoral center Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
He noted that with the increasing rate of negative attacks against the church especially in the wake of same sex marriage agitations and abuses of minors by some members of the clergy, the church should be conscious that these attacks will not blow over soon. he therefore urged the church in Nigeria and the Bishops in particular to step up their financial support to the communication apostolate.
”When a tragedy occurs in Europe or America, the media keep the event in currency until the rest of the world make it a world discourse. As long as we do not possess the modern weapon to defend ourselves and means to tell our story, our lamentations will not even be heard by those who wish to stand by us.
”We can champion the cause of global warming or climate change; we can champion the fight against corruption and other evils consuming Nigeria and the church, only if we have powerful means of communication,” he said.
Iorapuu posited that the idea of funding the communications apostolate with paltry communication collection would not make the church communication competitive and effective against the heavily funded antagonistic secular media.
In his remark, Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom commended the Catholic media for the rolled it played during the just concluded elections especially in the area of enlightening the people to play the game according the rules.
On his part, the Episcopal Chairman on Communication, Bishop Denis Isizoh, encouraged the directors of communication to distinguished themselves by being creative and make their talents available to all and sundry.
Isizoh who expressed the concern of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) about the plight of the Nigerian youths urged them to strive to make sincere sacrifices by doing holy and noble things, stressing that they should create database for the youths and platforms for them as well.
Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev Wilfred Anagbe in his address, opined that the task of the communication apostolate of the church is to promote the culture of truth and justice, adding that the church sees the media as the gift of God.
“The media contributes immensely for human unity, love among others, therefore, effective and positive use of the media is what matters and can make a difference. I therefore urged Christian to always pray as prayer is the only way human communicate to God,” Anagbe said.