AMECEA: Focolare Cleric Reminds Catholic Broadcasters from Africa to “Remain Rooted in Truth”
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Amidst the digital challenges, Catholic Television (TV) directors across Africa and the National Communication Coordinators from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) region have been urged to “remain rooted in truth” as they navigate the digital age.
In his homily during the opening Mass on Tuesday, November 25, at Mariapolis Piero Center, Juja, Kenya, Fr. Joseph Mbzinu Ateh emphasized that the vocation of Catholic broadcasters is vital in a world filled with “misinformation and manipulative narratives.”
Fr. Ateh, the Coordinator of the Centre for Inculturation for the Focolare Movement in Africa, addressed the communicators and acknowledged that they stand at the crossroads “where truth meets interpretation.”
In his reflection from the Gospel of Luke (21:5-6), Fr. Ateh compared how the media witnesses both human achievements and the “collapse of structures: social, political, and sometimes even spiritual.”
“See that you not be deceived,” he said in his homily, urging media professionals to resist the temptation to follow noise, trends, or sensationalism, and to let their reporting reflect reality with integrity.
Additionally, he cautioned further, “Do not be terrified” as crisis, conflict, or scandal can weigh heavily on a communicator, but remember Jesus invites you to “stand steady and “communicate with calm, courage, and hope.”
The Focolare priest reminded the Catholic communicators that their role is not to inflame fear but to illuminate understanding. Just as Jesus remained at peace through false accusations and suffering, which ultimately became the source of new life, he added, God can use the broadcasters’ work to “build bridges, promote peace, and help society see clearly through confusion.”
The November 24–28 workshop, themed Strengthening Catholic Television for Evangelization and Collaboration in Africa, has been organized by AMECEA and Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to respect and strengthen the local Catholic culture of each television network through program distribution and skills education.
