By Bridget Ikyado
Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has called on all clerics to effective utilise social media for envangelisation.
In a statement Onaiyekan signed,he said that social communications is an important aspect of the modern world.
The cleric said that modern technology had revolutionalised the reach and impact of social communication saying that even the government knows and they try to keep a close watch on it.
Onaiyekan said that the church had always acknowledged and that in recent times had made it a major aspect of its apostolate and evangelisation project.
“This became obvious already in the Second Vatican Council, which devoted a whole document to it, with the title: Inter Mirifica; Decree on the Means of Social Communications.
“Since then, the Popes have kept it in the forefront of Church attention, especially in the annual celebration of the World Communications Day (WCD), with a powerful message for each year.
“From Pope Paul VI in 1967 till Pope Francis this year, we have a long list of unbroken messages that has now become a rich body of doctrinal and pastoral authoritative teaching – or magisterium of the Church on this all-important matter.
“This year’s message is already out with the theme: Speaking with the Heart “The Truth in Love” (Eph. 4:15.)
“It is hoped that in each diocese, the bishop and his communications team will give this celebration the urgency and importance that it deserves.
“Evangelisation is the main task of the Church. Evangelization is very much a matter of communication.
“We shall succeed or fail in our primary task of evangelisation depending on how we positively exploit or culpably neglect the means of social communications that God has put at our disposal.
“May the Holy Spirit continue to guide our efforts,” he said(NAN)
– www.alutanews.ng
