Speaking at the same occasion, the chairperson of ACJ South region, Josephine Chinere, said that the association will “work hand in hand with the Church so as to inform the masses on different activities undertaken by the church.”
Meanwhile, in his Lenten message, Archbishop Msusa urged the people of God in Malawi not only to pray for others and themselves but also to pray for the whole country to survive the challenges it is facing.
Catholic Journalists in Malawi are grouped into four chapters that include: The North made up of Karonga and Mzuzu Dioceses; Central made up of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe and the Diocese of Dedza; East made up of Mangochi and Zomba Dioceses; and South made up of the Archdiocese of Blantyre and the Diocese of Chikwawa.
Last year, the National Coordinator for Communications and Social Research at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Fr. Francis Damaseke, said that journalists in the Catholic Church have a great responsibility of evangelizing the people by spreading messages that adhere to truth and other values of the Church.
Fr. Damaseke said that the Catholic Church has values that can assist journalists to spread information in an objective and accurate way.
“Catholic journalists have a big role to play in the Church, helping in evangelization of the gospel to the people where they are, as they are, and also reaching out to the people with the truth on matters within the Catholic Church and the society in general,” Fr. Damaseke said in the 10 December 2021 report.
Last year, in an honorary ceremony of two journalists reporting for the Vatican and the Holy See, Pope Francis expounded on the nature of journalism and said that the practice is marked by three things, which he listed as “listening, going deep and storytelling.”
The Holy Father said that the church is currently in need of journalists filled with passion about reality and who dig deeper and unearth treasures hidden by the society.
“Today, we are in great need of journalists and communicators who are passionate about reality, who are able to find the treasures that are often hidden in the folds of our society,” Pope Francis said in the 13 November 2021 report.
He expressed gratitude to journalists for reporting “what is wrong in the Church, for helping us not to sweep it under the carpet and for the voice you have given to the victims of abuse.”
