The Keta Akatsi Diocese of the Catholic Church in Ghana has launched the National Catholic Television Project at the Christ the King Cathedral at Akatsi.
The launch was to inform the Clergy and lay faithful in the Diocese about the upcoming television station project being spearheaded by the National Laity Council through the Lumen Christi Catholic Media Ltd.
The Most Rev. Bishop Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, narrated how the covid-19 pandemic had affected the world especially church activities.
According to him, “churches were closed for almost a year in order to observe the protocols in fighting against the pandemic and this resulted in people watching programmes of other churches on television whiles we Catholics watched only Catholic Digest on either GTV or any other TV station.”
“We don’t watch any other programmes even when Christian Mothers are having their programmes, hence the need for a television station for the church. Other churches are having it therefore we also need it to be teaching the youth more about the word of God and the Catholic doctrines.
In a keynote address, Mr. Emmanuel Yao Attipoe, Chairman of the Laity Council, described the event as part of a successful attempt by the Catholic Church in Ghana to own a national broadcasting network. After nearly 3 decades of unsuccessful attempts.
He described the Lumen Christi TV as the new avenue for catechism, saying that “Lumen Christi will serve as an effective instrument to teach and ensure the realisation of the basic social principles of the Catholic Church”.
Mr. Attipoe also stated that “the Broadcast and Transmission of the LC TV will be done via digital terrestrial and satellite transmission. This will provide coverage into the 19 Dioceses and Vicariate whilst satellite broadcast will give coverage all over Africa.
Ing. Dr. Ken Ashigbi, Chairman of the National Catholic TV Project Implementation Committee (NCTP-IC) said many TV channels are misleading the youth, in term of money doubling, blood money, brotherhood, hence the need for the Catholic Church to have a television station.
He further outlined the various committees and their roles in order to enhance successful implementation of the Lumen Christi TV project. The Diocesan Sub-Committees include Financial Committee, Fundraising Committee, Technical Committee, Marketing Committee, HR Committee and the Content Committee with the Diocesan Bureaus to be managed by the DEPSOCOM Office.
Ing. Dr. Ashigbi encouraged all Catholics in Ghana to come on board for the success of this television project to champion the teachings of the Catholic Church so that those who had left the church can be motivated to come back to do the work of God and to evangelise through the Lumen Christi TV channel.
He urged the laity in the diocese to donate in support of the establishment of the Lumen Christi TV, which he said would begin test transmission soon.
