Catholic Archbishop in Uganda Urges Government to “Respect more role of communicators”

Without verified and factual that journalists facilitate, Archbishop Ssemogerere said, “There comes misinformation.”

He described professional journalism “a noble profession that we all ought to support for the common good of the country.”

The Ugandan Catholic Church leader said that journalists who are well-trained communicate the truth in a professional way, which he said “will set us free.”

Archbishop Ssemogerere who has been at the helm of the Kampala Archdiocese since January last year said he found it unfortunate that Ugandans are both perpetrators and victims of violence on social media.

Speaking to the theme of WCD 2023 drawn from St. Paul’s letter to Ephesians, “Speaking with the heart: ‘the truth with love’”, he underscored the need for Ugandans to reflect on the trend of hate speech on social media, and prioritize spreading “the truth with charity” and to “speak with their hearts”.

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Archbishop Ssemogerere went on to acknowledge with appreciation the role played by Catholic communicators, saying, “Many of them remain in the shadows, yet they play an incomparable role in the spread of the Gospel in the world today.”

He added, “I urge you to trace every means available and any opportunity that is available and do it with confidence to make a defense for Christ and His Church and above all remember to speak to the heart following the truth and love as you read in Ephesians Chapter 4.”

The Local Ordinary of Kampala Archdiocese reflected on how Philip evangelized Samaria as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in the Sunday first reading, and said that the Deacon’s work was dominated by two verbs- hear and see- which he said are “central to effective communication and evangelization.”

“The people of Samaria believed because they heard the proclamation of Philip, and also witnessed the signs of the miracles which he performed,” he said, and added, “Faith was a result of hearing and seeing.”

The Catholic Church leader added in his May 14 homily, “As communicators, and agents of evangelization let us live the gospel that we proclaim so that by seeing our good works people may give glory to God. Let us be genuine witnesses of the Gospel that we have read and that we believe.”

Archbishop Ssemogerere also reflected on the previous day’s event of the anniversary of the apparition of Our Lady to three shepherd children (Lucy, 9; Francisco, 8; and Jacinta, 6) in the small village of Fatima in Portugal in 1917 (Feast of Our Lady of Fatima).

He said, “On May 13, we marked 106 years since Mother Mary appeared to Fatima. I continue to invite all (Catholic) communicators to speak rightfully of Mother Mary, praying the rosary and similar devotions. We ask her to continue to be our star as we communicate.”

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.