By Godwin Utuedoye,
... As CAMPAN ends national convention in Lagos
Lagos-Nigeria, Missionary Newspaper, Warri Diocese- Rev. Fr. Chris Anyanwu Ph.D, Director of Social Communications, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria CSN, has opined that communication is one of the most significant task of the church, stressing that it goes beyond mere words but includes building relationship.
The communication expert gave this disclosure on Friday, August 3, 2018 at the Clementine Hotels and Cinemas, Our Lady of Fatima Complex beside Lumen Christi Television House, Lekki Lagos State while presenting a paper titled; “Communication As a Core Activity of the Catholic Church: A Lessons for Communication Ministry Today”,during the 2018 annual convention of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria, CAMPAN with the theme; ‘The role of the Catholic media in nation building’.
The communication scholar stated that, communication could mean reciprocal exchange of information, ideas, facts, opinions, beliefs, feelings and attitudes through verbal and non-verbal means between two people or within group of people. He noted that, this sharing of information may not be useful if a better relationship is not put up.
Stressing the importance of communication, the clergy adds; that from the beginning, the church has used the arts to communicate Christ’s messages and fix in people’s minds and hearts. He said, the development of communication in the church, begin since the publication of the inter mirifica in 1963 by the second Vatican Council, where the church has always utilized the power of communication for the service of the gospel.
He further revealed that church expectation is to make communication ministry to be at the service of other ministries in the church and note, that the defining mission of the church on communication is to communicate Good News in words, deeds, and life.
On the challenges of communication to the church, Rev. Fr. Anyanwu maintained that while the church is preoocupied on how to proclaim the message and reach out to others, it fails to listen to itself, adding that communication should be more of listening than talking. He said, listening well means understanding the words or information being communicated, but also understanding the emotions the speaker is communicating.
He said the church may be good in external communication but poor in internal communication, and thereby advised that though the social media has its many challenges, it must be embrace as it is specifically different from otger means of communication because it audience are more activie in intervening in the communication process as its users are also content producers themselves rather than mere consumers.
The 2018 annual convention of the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria CAMPAN, brought practising journalists from all Catholic dioceses across Nigeria to gather at Clementine Hotels and Resorts, same compound housing the Lumen Christi Television, Lagos.
Other papers presented included Signis-Nigeria and the future of Communications Apostolate in Our Nation, by Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, Ph.D, Director of Social Communications, Archdiocese of Abuja and President of Signis-Nigeria and Faith Based Media As Catalyst for Citizens formation and Reintegration by Prince Olusoji Robert-Joseph Olagunju, Founder of Lumen Christi Television.
Other dignitaries who presented good messages include Very Rev. Msgr. Prof. Francis Ogunmodede, very Rev. Msgr. Gabriel Osu, the Lagos State council chairman of the NUJ , Dr. Quaseem Akinreti, President of Catholic Artistes and Entertainers Association of Nigeria, Commander C.O.O Nze, and President of Signis-Africa, Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Ihejirika amongst others.
Most Rev. Dennis Isizoh, Episcopal Chairman of Communication, CBCN and auxiliary bishop of Onitsha Archdiocese also present a keynote address in which he said, the topic of the convention is timely and took time to explain what is meant by Catholic media. He noted that many journalists use their newspapers to teach/to spread Catholic values, but a few, who had challenges on how to sustain financially their news publication resort to using their newspapers as “album of social events”.
He said such are interested in publishing events that will bring them fat cheques and warned never to let the quest for fund make one sell the soul of journalism, which is objectivity, achieved only when there is true independence.
The bishop further said that a good journalist must always form and inform but not reporting events ONLY when monetary incentive is offered.
The convention which also coincided with the 6th Installation anniversary of the Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, lasted between Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5, 2018.
Meanwhile, the National President of CAMPAN, Mr. Patrick Osu, has also appealed to the CBCN to support the body so they can always be fair and objective in their reportage, and called on directors of social communications to give priority to welfare of persons working under them so that they too will have good sense of belonging. Mr. Patrick Osu, who presented his appeal while making a remark before the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, lamented the poor remuneration of those working under some directorates of social communications in some diocese.
He said, those serving the church in such capacity must should considered with good welfare packages so that they can return render their service to the church in joy and happiness.
Responding, the archbishop assured CAMPAN of CBCN support, noting that it is only the communication department that is standing alone without any unit under it, stating that rapt attention is always given to it. He also call on communication directors to carter for the welfare of their staff as they are professionals as well.
The 2018 annual convention of CAMPAN affords participants the opportunity to interact, share ideas and make friends. A communique was issued at the end of the convention.
