Bishop Ezeokafor Throws Support for Fides, others
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus C. Ezeokafor, has urged support for Fides Media and other media establishments in the state and beyond, as the world marks Communications Day, reports Rev. Fr. Robert Anagboso.
Bishop Ezeokafor who made this call ahead of the 59th World Day of Communications, taking place on Sunday 1 June 2025, charged media practitioners the world over to uphold the spirit of the theme of this year’s 2025 World Communications Day.
In a message addressed to media practitioners and professionals, men and women of good will, the Catholic Bishop of Awka, urged media personnel to adhere to the good and positive practices of social communications in the spirit of the theme for the 2025 World Day of Communications, which encourages a gentle communication of hope to people.
Reflecting on the major theme “Share with Gentleness, the Hope that is in Your Hearts (1Peter 3:15-16)”, as was given by the late Pope Francis on 24 September 2024, the Awka Diocesan Prelate passionately appealed to media practitioners to communicate hope because ‘everything cannot begin and end in helplessness and hopelessness as news items.’
Furthermore, Bishop Ezeokafor decried the practice of distortion of information or an outright assembling of false information and feeding same to the general public for the sake of money, describing this type of journalism as disheartening.
In his words: ‘It is very disheartening that a so-called journalist would intentionally choose to write and publish false information just for monetary gain. The worst is the unconscionable use of social media like the X, Facebook, Tiktok, etc., to disseminate very harmful and obnoxious information, display false and distorted images in the name of content creation.’
Going on in his address, the visibly pained Prelate recalled that such had been known to generate fights and animosities to the extent of breaking up so many relationships and families.
Concluding, Bishop Ezeokafor urged and reminded media personnel that it was their vocation to counter negative and harmful information. Reminding all about the intention of the late Pope Francis in putting forward the theme for the 2025 World Communications Day, he explained that the late Holy Father wanted the faithful to know and understand the sole objective of communication, which, he noted, was spreading of the truth. God is Truth. The Lord said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”. Therefore, every communication must convey the truth that is God.
‘In the face of the contemporary weaponization of communication and means of communication, the Mother Church, through Pope Francis, wants us to communicate this Truth in Hope. Communication and dissemination of information must transmit hope”, Bishop Ezeokafor asserted.
Finally, the Bishop stated that the task of every reporter, journalist, speaker, etc., remained to spread the truth and give hope to their readers and hearers.
According to hem, this way of reporting, writing or speaking must also be found in interpersonal relationships, like in the families, churches, schools; even in meetings and social gatherings.
Speaking on Church communication in particular, he maintained that the Church established her social communication outfit, with the fundamental objective of evangelization and spreading of truth. He urged all and sundry, especially the diocesan parishes, to support the Awka Diocesan Social Communication outfit which is the Fides Media, even as the Universal Church called for a special collection for the World Communication Day.
