With motif of the 54th WCD-Africa

OYO, May 25, 2020 / 11:59 PM (ACI Africa) .-

On the occasion of the 54th World Communications Day (WCD) this year, which was celebrated on Sunday, May 24, the leadership of the Pan-African Episcopal Committee on Social Communications (CEPACS) has called on media professionals in the continent to They practice the Christian faith to tell stories. that make people visualize the bigger picture of their respective lives, with God at the center.

"Our task as Christian communicators is to make people see that there is always a bigger story with God that no matter how hard we try, we or even the smartest experts cannot fully understand it right away," says CEPACS president. , Bishop Emmanuel Badejo.

In his statement on the occasion of this year's WCD, which he shared with ACI Africa, the Local Ordinary of the Diocese of Oyo of Nigeria advises: "When writing your life story, don't let anyone else hold the pen or the role! We must forcefully portray the protagonists in our own story, demonstrating that God is the editor and choreographer of everything we experience. "

Having God at the center of the communication process "frees us from fatalistic submission to the overwhelming presence of evil in the world (and) also allows us to" look at the world with more tenderness, "says Bishop Badejo.

He refers to the Holy Father's letter to this year's WCD saying: "The Pope's message essentially challenges humanity, so infected today with tragedy and bad news, to transform itself into a narrative that can look at our world and its events with a tender look. "

The 58-year-old prelate says Pope's letter with the theme: "For you to tell your children and grandchildren: life becomes history" plays the role of equipping God's people "worldwide with the tool with which to handle the present. trial and tribulations. "

"Those who suffer and suffer from war, ethnic conflicts, terrorist attacks, poor governance and even the current COVID-19 pandemic can invoke the stories of their past when things were better, more peaceful and times were more prosperous to gain balance and comfort. "Says the president of CEPACS

In his message entitled "Pain strengthens the promise," Bishop Badejo explains that Pope Francis recognizes the nature of human beings "as storytellers and how important, even indispensable, stories are for human existence."

"Told authentically," says Bishop Badejo, "the stories become the reason, the motivation, the palliative that helps us heroically face the challenges of life."

He continues: “Such stories remind us when we had much less but we were much more; when we find more joy in who we were than in what we had; and when humanity mattered much more than possessions. "

Underlining the value of telling authentic stories in relation to the contemporary environment of exploitative fake news and sugar-covered falsehoods, he says, "Those who make unsubstantiated, destructive, and sensational stories and everyone who spreads them without thinking should pay close attention."

"It is true that we cannot prevent negative birds from flying over our heads," he says and adds, "surely we can prevent them from nesting in our hair."

“We need stories that reveal who we really are, also in the incalculable heroism of everyday life. This is where in this year's message, the rubber is on the way, "he emphasizes and adds," We need at this time not only story tellers but also apologists, another brand of storytellers who are capable and willing to reject lies and lies at all times. false news about our faith and church history

He clarifies referring to the role of apologists: “This dimension is not a burden only for professionals. It is within the power of every young person and adult in the Diocese and throughout the world. "

"Even when we take Holy Scripture for granted as the history of stories, we learn to give more value and space to" the other scripture, "that is, our oral, cultural, and traditional history, as well as contemporary events," the prelate Nigerian says.

And he adds: "We must place contemporary tragedies such as duels, terrorist attacks, conflicts, violent deaths, kidnappings and corrupt practices that, when reported especially through the modern media, seem to overwhelm us and leave us perplexed

"Instead of trying to avoid them or simply denounce them, we must demonstrate that for Christians, pain is part of the promise and pain is not foreign to history," says Bishop Badejo and urges communicators in Africa, guided by the Holy Spirit, to "speak for the truth, for the faith, for the Church".

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Nigerian Catholic Secretariat (CSN), the administrative office of the Nigerian Catholic Episcopal Conference (CBCN) has praised various media professionals who have been using the media to tell good and honest stories. .

"We urge journalists to focus more on positive stories that will always uplift, shape and shape society," said CSN Secretary General, p. Zacharia Samjumi said on May 24 during the mass in Abuja on the occasion of the WCD.

"Journalists must always work to counter negative stories in society by regularly adopting balanced and positive reports of events," p. Zacharia said

In Ghana, the Director for Social Communications of the Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region of country, Fr. Emmanuel Dolphyne encouraged those who engage the media for their information needs to “apply discernment to all the stories they consume from the media” by asking some fundamental questions about the content proposed.

For those who engage the media to reach out to others, the Ghanaian Cleric said the messages need to reflect the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

"We need to reflect on what we are to communicate to the world, namely faith to a world gradually rejecting God as creator, love to a world overcome with bitterness and pain, hope to a world in chaos because values are turned upside down," Emmanuel said during the live-streamed Mass to mark this year's WCD.

He also advocated for messages that reflect “unity to a world divided by color and language and justice to a world divided by the gap between the rich and poor through exploitation.”

"Our lives are influenced by stories and they leave their mark on us by shaping our convictions and behavior by helping us understand and communicate who we are."

Pope Francis highlighted the importance of memory in communications. However, memory is not a static body but a dynamic reality, ”he said and explained,“ It is the means by which the stories, hopes, dreams and experience of one generation are passed on to another. ”

“The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has genuinely highlighted the importance of telling our story our own way,” he further said, adding, “with the ban on public gathering, we resorted to the use of modern means of social communication to tell our story. We therefore need to make use of the media to help us achieve the goal of reaching our faithful. ”

In order to be effective storytellers, Fr. Emmanuel said, “We need to wait on to the Lord to equip us for this mission.”

"Let us invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with the message, energize and empower us," I have concluded.

Damian Dieu Donne Avevor in Ghana contributed to this news report