By Rev. Fr. Leo Aregbesola
On Sunday May 24, 2020, the Catholic Church universally and in solidarity with all media practitioners is to celebrate the 54th World Communications Day. This event comes up every year on the Sunday before Pentecost Day and a theme is chosen by the Pope for the world to reflect on, as a means of developing the human persons in their interactions with one another in various spheres and their interactions with the universe.
We are not unaware of the effects the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has inflicted on our world and human activities. The guard against the spread of this disease in Ondo State has also made it impossible for the Catholic Diocese of Ondo to mark this event with the media practitioners within State, as we usually do every year. However, the Catholic community in the state is very much aware and appreciative of the great job the media practitioners do as frontline workers in the fight against this pandemic and wish that they are all celebrated in a unique way. No other time would have been more appropriate than now. But we continue to rely on the grace of God that we may all conscientiously play our part in bringing a cure or end to this pandemic.
In the meantime, I want to keep encouraging the media practitioners to remain focused in their duty and never lose sight of the goals that are meant to be achieved at this time, when you sacrifice your lives and time amidst the danger of contracting the COVID-19 in the line of duty.
I wish to re-echo the words of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who has chosen “THAT YOU MAY TELL YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN (EX. 10:2) – LIFE BECOMES HISTORY” as the theme for the 54th World Communications Day celebration to admonish you all that, truth must be contained in your storytelling. Tell good stories, and even though not all stories are good, tell the ones that build up, not tear down; stories that help rediscover our roots and the strength needed to move forward together. A human story that can speak of ourselves and the beauty all around us. A narrative that can regard our world and its happenings with a tender gaze. A narrative that can tell us that we are part of a living and interconnected tapestry. A narrative that can reveal the interweaving of the threads which connect us to one another. All of these you must do, even in the midst of the cacophony of voices and messages that surround us.
In as much as there are many challenges we are presently facing as a nation, and there are factors that regularly impress themselves into influencing you to change the ethos of your job, do constantly bear in mind the gift God has endowed you with, to inform and refine the minds of millions of people in our fight for positive change to our situation.
Thank you for all you do and I pray God to bless and keep you always, amen.
Father Aregbesola is the Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo.
