The Catholic Bishop of Ghana’s Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, the Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta has charged the lay faithful of the Church in Ghana to take ownership of the National Catholic Television Project and support it, though the Bishops’ Conference will hold it in trust.
In an address at the Diocesan Launch and Town Hall Meeting of the National Catholic Television (Lumen Christi TV) Project in Bolgatanga, he said, audiovisual means of communication has become important for evangelisation and there was the need to use these avenues in order to continue the mission of evangelization, hence the conception of the Lumen Christi TV Project.
He also advised that LC TV should not only be independent but Christian in its transmissions.
The event which took place at the Catholic Social Centre on Saturday, April 2, was on the theme; “Living Authentic Christian Social Teaching Through Mass Media Evangelisation.”
Bishop Agyenta said, “We are entering into the media landscape and trying to contribute something unique. Sometimes we hear one of the media stations saying they are independent, fearless and a credible station. We want to be not only independent, fearless and credible but also Christian; human…so that we can put something different into the media landscape. Today, there is a lot of fake news that is making the rounds and sometimes you don’t know who is telling the truth.
He noted, “We need the audience [lay people] say that, yes, once it is coming from this station [Lumen Christi TV], we know that the information put out there is right. I think that, it is our responsibility for us if we are also coming into the space to bring something qualitative, credible, and authentic that is inspired by our desire and passion for the truth.”
In a Keynote Address, the Chairman of the Laity Council of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Mr. Hermas Azanoore said, the yet-to-be established Lumen Christi Television would offer the image and sound of the Catholic Faith in Ghana.
“The light of Christ has shone brightly in Ghana but we hardly project that light for the world to see. We need to project the faith and morals taught by Christ that many would be informed and formed,” Mr. Azanoore stressed.
He said Lumen Christi will serve as an effective instrument to teach and ensure the realization of the basic social principles of the Catholic Church.
“The ten key principles of the social teaching of the Catholic Church would be highlighted and taught. These are human dignity, community and common good, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, and participation. The rest are dignity of workers, stewardship of creation, solidarity, the role of government and the promotion of peace. The Catholic TV will make the cry louder to resound in the ears of all the concerned persons and groups”, he asserted.
The Vicar General of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Lawrence Azure said, the importance of television to the Church’s resolve cannot be over-emphasized and there was the need to urgently mobilize resources for such a noble TV project.
“Finding ourselves in this age of media explosion, we as a Catholics cannot but also strike the iron when it is red hot, make good use of the media in our evangelisation drive”, he added.
The Chief Shepherd of the Diocese inaugurated and inducted into office various Sub-committees to work hand-in-hand for the realization of Lumen Christi TV in the diocese.
They are: Diocesan Implementation, Fundraising and Content sub-committees respectively.
A representative from the National Implementation Committee, Madam Beatrice Akanteke Akanmonge gave a detailed presentation of the Catholic TV Project.
The event was attended by Parish Priests, representatives of Parish Pastoral Councils, societies and groups, and the media.
Lumen Christi Catholic Media Ltd. is a media company limited by shares and owned by the Catholic Church of Ghana to run the Lumen Christi (LC) TV.
Its head office is in Accra and will have 20 bureaus in all the Dioceses and a Vicariate under their respective Diocesan Departments of Social Communications (DEPSOCOM) to broadly reflect its national character and be managed by a team of media professionals to be recruited by the Board of Directors.
The vision of the LC TV is to be accepted as a stellar, evangelistic, entertaining, and authentic TV channel with global appeal.
