Benin City, Nigeria – The Catholic community in Benin City gathered in celebration as the 2024 Communications Week (Comweek) was inaugurated at St. Paul Catholic Church. The event, marked by a solemn Mass, saw Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze bestowing high praise on Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh for his innovative contributions to the media apostolate within the Nigerian Church.
Archbishop Akubeze, in his homily, highlighted the significance of the week-long media literacy program, an initiative of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) since 2022. He expressed his delight at the Archdiocese of Benin’s privilege to host the maiden inauguration ceremony of the national event, scheduled from May 5th to May 12th, 2024.
Addressing the congregation, the immediate past CBCN President spoke passionately about the true essence of poverty, which he described as the absence of genuine love rather than material lack. He called upon Christians to embody and communicate God’s love universally, transcending all barriers of ethnicity and language.
On the theme for this year’s Comweek, “Artificial Intelligence and Wisdom of the Heart for Fully Human Communication,” chosen by Pope Francis for the World Communications Day, the Archbishop cautioned against the pursuit of technology at the expense of divine guidance and love, urging attendees to view the world through the lens of God’s love. He extended his gratitude to journalists and media practitioners for their dedication to truth and integrity, offering prayers for their continued protection and divine favor.
Rev. Fr. Dr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, the National Director of Social Communications, expressed his gratitude to Archbishop Akubeze for hosting the inaugural Mass. He also acknowledged the support of Fr. Michael Oyanoafoh, Fr. Charles Omojiate, and Fr. Jude Orah for their roles in facilitating the event.
Fr. Umoh took the opportunity to inform the faithful that the Comweek program would be observed across all Catholic parishes, seminaries, convents, and institutions in Nigeria, ideally during the daily evening Masses. He directed the congregation to the Comweek manual available on the Nigeria Catholic Network (NCN) app for active participation and encouraged Catholics nationwide to utilize the NCN app for reliable Church information, inviting them to join the broadcast platform by sending “ADD ME” to 09060006198.
The inaugural Mass was further distinguished by an award ceremony honoring individuals who have significantly contributed to the growth of the media apostolate in the Archdiocese of Benin. The event concluded with a thanksgiving service and the blessing of professional tools for the Catholic Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (CAMPAN) in Benin.
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