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“Take your profession as a vocation”: Bishop to Catholic Journalists in Malawi

Credit: ECM

The Chairman of the Commission for Social Communications of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has urged Catholic Journalists in the Southern African nation to take their journalism profession as God’s calling.

Bishop Montfort Stima who was speaking during the opening of the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Malawi’s Association of Catholic Journalists (ACJ) in Nkhatabay on August 26 said, “Don’t be nominal Catholics. Refuse to be bitter; don’t be Catholic politician journalists; be Catholics with a capital C; take your profession as a vocation.”

To fulfill the duties of their profession as a vocation, Bishop Stima encouraged Catholic Journalists in the country to strive for truth and shun social vices including corruption and the championing of “rights” that are inconsistent with Catholic teaching.

“Things like corruption, abortion, gay rights, destructive demonstrations have become a norm,” the Local Ordinary of Malawi’s Mangochi Diocese has been quoted as saying in an August 27 report.

“Your duty as journalists is to form people’s conscience,” the Catholic Bishop who has been at the helm of the Malawian Diocese since February 2014 said during three-day 5th AGM of Malawi’s ACJ that was organized under the theme, “The Role of Journalists in Synodality and Climate Change Resilience”.

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Speaking about the  ongoing preparations for the Synod on Synodality and the challenge of climate change, the 64-year-old Malawian Bishop said, “As we reflect on our role in Synodality and climate change let's strive to be good communicators.”

In her input during the AGM, the Sister in charge of the Online Newsletter of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) emphasized the participatory aspect of the preparations for the Synod on Synodality.

“We are called to go down to the grassroots and get different voices about Synodality so that the voice of the Bishop and the voice of any other Christian in the Small Christian community can now balance,” Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth said, adding, “This is the participation that is required from each and every one of us.”

Sr. Okoth encouraged Catholic journalist to give media visibility to the ongoing preparations for the Synod on Synodality.

“As journalists, we have the privilege of getting information from the right people and places,” the Kenyan-born member of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Anna said August 27.

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On his part, the National Coordinator Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) challenged Catholic journalists to acquaint themselves with the 2015 Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis “on care for our common home”, Laudato Si’ in view if giving the document wider visibility.

“Can we have a Church proposal on how we can collaborate with the government on how best Laudato Si’ can be implemented together in the communities? Bring those ideas so that we can do these things together,” Boniface Chibwana said during the 5th AGM of Malawi’s ACJ.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.