At Pilgrimage in Zambia, Catholic Media Practitioners Challenged to “be communicators of hope”

Messaging anchored on truth in love, he went on to say, helps audiences “so that they may not only survive, but truly live well together in harmony.”

Such messaging is for “not only the salvation of the soul, but the good of the community; the common good,” the Local Ordinary of the Zambian Metropolitan See following his appointment in June 2024 said.

“Life is more than what we see,” he said, and urged Catholic media practitioners to recognize the dignity of the human person and the presence of God in each person and help audiences appreciate it.

He emphasized, “We, the communicators, are meant to bring this to people, to bring hope to them, to help them understand that God's creation is not just about the physical, but also the spiritual.”

“Let us, therefore, always remain positive. Let us give hope, even in hopeless situations. Let us strengthen those who are weak. Let us offer, even to those far from God, the possibility of seeing a light, for God always comes to help us,” Archbishop Phiri appealed.

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The Zambian-born Catholic Church leader, who began his Episcopal Ministry in April 2011 as Auxiliary Bishop of Zambia’s Catholic Diocese of Chipata further called upon media practitioners to use their respective platforms to share messages of hope with those giving up amid violent conflicts.

He said, “Help them to come to their realization that it is not just about everyday life, but that there is a God who is waiting for us.”

He commended media professionals to God that “they may always be conscious” of their divine calling to “give hope to humanity; help people to have faith and hope in their God.”

“If we are all givers of hope, then we shall not be lost, because we are not going to surrender to the world or to the evil one,” Archbishop Phiri said, adding, “In this way, all people will live well. In whatever situation they will not despair, but they will always be able to strive for a better self and a better tomorrow.”

Giving hope, he reemphasized, “is our task. It is a challenge for all of us, but life itself is a challenge, because we must overcome all the obstacles that surround us."

“You are communicating today, because it is God who has given you that responsibility. Do not just look at your qualification, or the one who recommended you for the job that you do today, or the one who gives you the salary. God has given you that responsibility,” he said.

He continued, “You have been assigned and you accepted that assignment. Therefore, do it well and God will bless you and grant you the blessings that you need.”

In his July 12 homily, Archbishop Phiri decried pervasive disinformation and misinformation by a section of the media, especially on social media forums.

He lamented, “Nowadays on social media, even somebody who doesn't know anything about communication is posting something and communicating to the people, regardless of the quality or content of that communication.”

“Social media nowadays is like walking through a field with a landmine, because you don't know what you are going to step on,” Archbishop Phiri said at the Jubilee of Hope Pilgrimage for Communicators realized under the theme, "Share with Greatness the Hope that is in your Hearts".

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Catholic media practitioners need to be gatekeepers ensuring that “children are not misled by the self-landmines, the self-messengers,” he appealed, and added, “Those who are talking about the way of God and those who are talking against the way of God are both on the same platform and it is our responsibility to guide (all).”

Archbishop Phiri reemphasized the need for Catholic media practitioners to communicate in a way that reflects God’s truth, unites and gives life.

Catholic media practitioners should communicate in a manner “that is going to promote that which God intended for his people, so that those who hear us may be able to pass on in this way to the foundation of life, so that all may be saved,” he said.

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.