At WCD 2025 Celebrations in Nairobi, Catholic Bishop Urges “responsible” Media Engagement, Decries News Negativity

He called upon Catholic media practitioners to engage the means of communication at their disposal “to communicate the gospel message” and added, “I encourage each one of you to commit yourselves to this journey of gentleness and hope.”

Pope Paul VI established the WCD in 1967 as an annual celebration to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that modern means of social communication accord the Church to communicate the gospel message to all the ends of the earth.

Credit: ACI Africa

Since then, the Church observes WCD, also known as the World Day of Social Communications, on the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday. Marked this year on June 1, the 59th WCD has been realized under the theme,  “Share with gentleness the hope that is in your hearts.”

Referring to the theme of the WCD 2025 in his keynote address, Bishop Wallace urged members of the Catholic media network Nairobi to actively participate in the creation of “a platform of hope”, upholding accountability and collaboration.

“Let us hold each other accountable, support one another, and nurture the seeds of love that we have been called to share. Together, by God's grace, we can create a platform of hope that transforms our lives and those around us,” he said.

Credit: ACI Africa

The Kenyan Catholic Church leader reiterated, “Let us take the message of hope we nurture in our hearts and share it with authenticity and gentleness. Let us confront conflicts not with the intention of retaliation or revenge, but with understanding, and let us be bearers of light in every corner of our society and the whole country at large.”

Credit: ACI Africa

Bishop Wallace went on to thank members of the Catholic media network Nairobi for realizing the June 1 event, and added, “Your commitment to sharing the Good News through various forms of communication reflects the essence of our faith, that is, to be voices that give hope, comfort, and reconciliation in a world that so often lacks these vital virtues,” he said.

“My prayer is that you may continue to empower our world in ways that inspire a deeper understanding of God's love. Let this day remind us that every interaction we have has the potential to be a moment of grace, a chance to meet someone with open arms and a loving heart,” he said.

Credit: ACI Africa

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 2024 as one of the three Auxiliary Bishops of ADN emphasized the need for Catholic media practitioners to walk the talk, drawing inspiration from the theme of this year’s WCD.

“As we gather here today, we are reminded that communication is not just about the words we speak, but also about the compassion and kindness we convey through our actions,” he said.

Credit: ACI Africa

(Story continues below)

Bishop Wallace continued, “In a time when digital media can sometimes lead to division and misunderstanding, the call to share hope with gentleness is more important than ever. It is our mission as Christians, as communicators of God’s word.”

Credit: ACI Africa

Alluding to the ongoing Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, the yearlong spiritual initiative that the late Pope Francis officially launched on the Eve of Christmas 2024 under the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope”, the Kenyan Catholic Church leader urged called upon Catholic media practitioners to communicate hope amid violent conflicts and multiple cases of despair. 

Credit: ACI Africa

“Our theme for this Jubilee year, 'Pilgrims of Hope,' encourages a spirit of openness and inclusivity, inviting all members of the Church to participate actively in the Synodal process,” he said, adding, “Today we pray that our use of modern means of communication may contribute to bringing about hope in a world that is currently challenged by wars, despair, insults, corruption, and a lot of negativities.”

From the theme of the WCD 2025, he said, “we acknowledge the diverse experiences and voices within the Church, advocating for a listening posture that values dialogue. Through this theme, the Church seeks to foster an environment where everyone feels heard and valued, regardless of their background or status.”

Credit: ACI Africa

“As pilgrims, communicators are called to be agents of hope, sowing seeds of compassion and justice as we communicate using the various means that we have,” he said in his keynote speech at the WCD 2025 event that Catholic media network Nairobi members organized on June 1.

The Catholic media network Nairobi comprises some 17 media entities in the Kenyan Metropolitan See. They include the Paulines Publications Africa, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Communications (KCCB), the National Mirror, the Archdiocese of Nairobi, the New People Media Centre, the Messenger of Mary Immaculate, and Radio Maria Nairobi.

Credit: ACI Africa

Others are Bayard Publications, the Communications Network for Catholic Sisters the Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (BEAMS), the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa(AMECEA), The Seed magazine, Loyola Center for Media and Communications, Radio Waumini, Capuchin TV, the Commission for Social Communication of Kenya's Military Ordinariate, and the Association for Catholic Information in Africa (ACI Africa).

Representatives from Kenya’s Murang’a Catholic Diocese and the Catholic Diocese of Ngong participated in the June 1 WCD 2025 celebration at St. Patrick’s Thika Catholic Parish of ADN.