(Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria)
1) The Bishops of Africa and Madagascar have on many occasions deliberated upon great proposals on the importance of the means of Social Communications for evangelisation in Africa. The climax of the deliberations of the Bishops to my mind was the dedication of the 9th Plenary Assembly of SECAM in Lome, Togo, from 22-29 July 1990, to this subject. Some great progress in different parts of Africa have been recorded. (The booklet "The African Church in the Communications Era", edited by Michael Phillipart of CAMECO, St. Paul Publications, Africa, 1992, brings the major statements of the Bishops in one book.)
2) The Lineamenta, the Instrumentum Laboris, the Relatio ante disceptationem bring into bold relief the importance of the means of social communications and call for plans for action.
This Synod should consider some concrete measures to promote evangelisation. For example, the Vatican Radio, powerful as it is, can be used specifically for evangelisation by getting gifted and talented ministers of the Word to preach powerful messages to the un-reached in Africa, Madagascar and elsewhere.
Secondly, the proposal for a powerful Catholic radio station for Africa and Madagascar first mentioned in Lome, Togo, at the SECAM Plenary assembly of 1990 should be resurrected and pursued vigorously for implementation.
Thirdly, this Synod should call on the Catholic Church to mobilise its resources to see that a satellite channel is acquired and used not only for bringing the messages of the Holy Father live to the world but to get gifted and talented ministers of the Word to put across powerful messages geared towards evangelising Africa and the world at large. Many non-Catholics and non-Christians are pumping huge resources into this.
Fourthly, the intensive training of clergy, religious, seminarians and laity must continue unabated in the use of these means of social communications as is being done in Kaduna Media Service Centre.
Fifthly, the setting of video libraries in Africa, an initiative of Lumen 2000, should be popularised besides their innate advantages, they will counteract the damages inherent in proliferation of blue films and those that glorify violence.
The use of the electronic media along with the print media must continue unabated as we face the gigantic task of evangelising Africa.
Original text: English
