The Director of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Rev. Fr. Moses Iorapuu has called for improved funding of the Church media to enable it compete favourably with the secular media.
Fr. Iorapuu stated this while welcoming participants to the first Plenary of Association of Arch/Diocese/Religious Directors of Social communication in Nigeria, holding at Pope John Paul II Pastoral Center, Makurdi.
He said the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Nigeria needed to step up their financial support to the communication apostolate of the church towards making it competitive and effective against the secular media.
Fr Iorapuu lamented that the idea of funding the communications apostolate with paltry communication collection would not make the church communication competitive and effective.
”The paltry communication collection cannot be effective against the heavily funded antagonistic secular media given the amount of negative attacks mounted against the church especially in the wake of same sex marriage agitations and abuses of minors by some members of the clergy.
”Conscious that these attacks will not blow over soon, the church in Nigeria and the Bishops in particular should 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 attacks on corruption and other evils consuming Nigeria and the church only if we have powerful means of communication,” he said.
Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom, lauded the Catholic media for the role it played during the just concluded elections, stressing that it enlightened the people to play the game according the rules.
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Governor Ortom who was represented by his Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Bernand Unenge said Benue state government was with them and urge them to live up their profession.
Also, the Episcopal Chairman on Communication, Bishop Denis Isizoh, encouraged the directors of communication to distinguished themselves by being creative and making their talents available to all and sundry.
Isizoh further 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.
“The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, is so much concerned about the plight of the youths in Nigeria,” he said.
The Vice Chairman, Directors of Communication, Rev. Sister, Josephine Odonuike, also urged the media professionals to disseminate, create awareness about unity and proffer practical ways to achieve the unity which is deluding the country.
Addressing participants, the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Rev Wilfred Anagbe said 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 humans communicate to God”
The theme of the event is: “We are members of another, Eph 4:25, From Social Network Communities to the Human community
