Cameroon’s Catholic Communicators Challenged “to be messengers of hope”

“As a Catholic communicator, you are called to be messengers of hope, especially in this Jubilee Year, and messengers of peace in this electoral year in our country,” he said.

Reflecting on the theme of the Catholic Communicators’ Council, “Communicating the Force of Hope in Cameroon in the Context of the Jubilee and Electoral Year with Modern Means of Communication”, the Cameroonian Catholic Priest cited Pope Francis’ Message for the 59th World Day of Social Communications, urging Catholic communicators to “share with your sisters the hope that is in your hearts.”

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Mons. Nyaga underscored the decisive role of communication in building peace and promoting hope and called upon Catholic communicators to “firmly engage in their mission by witnessing to evangelical values and ensuring that the voice of the Catholic Church is heard with gentleness in all aspects of life.”

“The men and women of the media are competent, distinguishing themselves by their know-how and the quality of the information they disseminate as well as by their resistance to pressures contrary to their deontology,” he said.

He expressed confidence that the deliberations during the Catholic Communicators Council meeting would not only enrich the mission of Catholic communicators but also “enhance their professional skills and strengthen their conviction in disseminating truthful and responsible information.”

The member of the Clergy of Cameroon’s Douala Catholic Archdiocese thanked all those who contributed to the preparation of the event, saying,  “May God, our Heavenly Father, be your strength. May He show you the way forward. May He bless all your endeavours.”

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The February 24-27 meeting is bringing together Catholic communicators from across Cameroon to participate in the dynamics of the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year and to promote a climate of peace in the Central African nation.

In his keynote address on February 25, Archbishop Jean Mbarga of Yaoundé Archdiocese urged Catholic communicators to be “promoters of hope” and bridge the gap between faith and culture through ethical and responsible practice.

Archbishop Jean Mbarga of the Catholic Archdiocese of Yaoundé in Cameroon. Credit: ACI Africa

Archbishop Mbarga underscored the important role of Catholic media, describing it as “a great and prestigious institution, an inexhaustible source of values, and a living school for culture and social communication.”

“Without the media, an immense void would be created, depriving society of essential communication and cultural products. The silence of the media generates concern, raises questions about rights and freedoms, and can lead to a lifeless society,” the Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop said.

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He challenged Catholic media practitioners to uphold values that foster peace, justice, and fraternity. He said, “Today, we do not celebrate the media as mere loudspeakers, alarmists, or instruments of manipulation, nor as voices of defamation and calumny. Rather, we honor those who use the media ethically, creating spaces where people come together, engage in dialogue, and build a sense of community.”

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Archbishop Mbarga urged Catholic communicators to go beyond mere reporting and actively engage with the media world to foster cultural and ethical enrichment.

“We are attached to this world of the media as to a source of culture, as to a source of communication. From social communication, we must reach social communion. From the Gospel in the media, we must also reach the mediatization of the Gospel,” he said.

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The Catholic Church leader, who has been at the helm of Yaoundé following his appointment as Apostolic Administrator in July 2013 and later, in October 2014, as Local Ordinary emphasized the need for high ethical standards on the part of Catholic media practitioners, saying that their work “should build rather than destroy, unite rather than divide.”

“Your mission is based on competence and competition, but it must also be rooted in truth, justice, and peace,” he said.

Archbishop Mbarga underscored the need for Catholic communicators to develop intercultural dialogue, fostering relationships across social, international, and anthropological spheres. He also urged them to embrace their African roots while engaging with global trends, balancing their identity as Christians, Africans, and professional and modern communicators.

“This balance is necessary. Catholic media lives from reciprocity in relations with other cultures,” the Local Ordinary of Yaoundé Archdiocese said.

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He cautioned against using media for defamation, manipulation, or sensationalism, saying, “Behind each microphone is the whole world, and behind the whole world are human beings. Be aware of the ultimate purpose of your services. No microphone, no broadcast leaves humanity indifferent.”

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Drawing inspiration from the Beatitudes, Archbishop Mbarga reflected on how Catholic communicators can embody the values of humility, justice, and peace.

“Happy are those who serve justice for the media world; justice means a world of equality, universal fraternity, and respect for personal identities,” he said, and continued, “Blessed are the meek. For the world of the media, it is the gentleness in the voice, in the contact to create friendship, the good relationship, the deep gentleness that values each interlocutor and welcomes every difference.”

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“Blessed are the peacemakers; misused, the media can spread toxic cultures; well used, they serve peace for everyone; well used the media give life, culture, joy,” the Cameroonian Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in December 2004 as Bishop of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Ebolowa-Kribi said.

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He urged Catholic communicators to uphold the mission of Catholic media as a force “for the greater good”.

“Be prophets of the word that comes from above through your services. The prophet announces, denounces, and above all, renounces himself for the greater good,” Archbishop Mbarga said in his keynote address on February 25.