He added that the Catholic Church in Africa has experienced immense growth over the years and emphasized the need for these developments to be documented on the global platform.
“The African church has, since the 1994 synod, chosen the theme of the ‘Church in Africa as family of God.’ Now, a lot has been happening in various (Bishops’) conferences in the other regions, but there has been no way of documenting what's been happening,” Bishop Badejo said, expressing his concern about the communication gaps in networking and making known the activities of the commissions for social communication in Africa.
With the regional communication offices in place, the Catholic Bishop who is also gifted in music expressed optimism that the Church in Africa can have the possibility to be heard through some collective forums and “contribute to the discourse on the natural family, the traditional family and the Christian family all over the world.”
In the March 2020 interview, Bishop Badejo shared with ACI Africa about his belief that “there is a new awareness, a new determination in SECAM and in the standing committee of SECAM to strengthen our communication outfit, communication platforms and to encourage our communication practitioners even more.”
He went on to encourage the people of God in Africa to embrace and engage digital media, saying that the Church is no longer in the habit of shying away from the engagement of social media.
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“It is important for the Church in Africa to show interest in those who practice media, both the professionals and the mere practitioners, those who use social media, the new incomers who don't have any professional skills but have all the tools at their disposition,” the Nigerian Bishop said.
The Local Ordinary of Oyo Diocese added, “It's also important for even the church to have the humility to be taught in a way by these young people and these newcomers who have all the skills of communication and new ways of uprooting issues of the world today.”
In a report announcing Bishop Badejo’s appointment to the Dicastery, the Communications Director of Oyo Diocese expressed his best wishes to the new appointees.
“The entire Diocese of Oyo prayerfully wishes them the best in their service to God and the universal church,” says Fr. John Irekiigbe in the December 3 report shared with ACI Africa.
Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.