By Fr Lawrence Ogundipe, SDV
INTRODUCTION
I was in the Mad Room of Grajos 98.3 FM, media house on January 2nd, 2020 in Lagos to prepare for my Ancient tales series, when the director of programmes came in to announce the need to go on Air immediately for breaking news about “The Covid-19 Pandemic”. The Corona-virus-diseas-2019 is an illness caused by a novel Corona virus severe acute respiratory syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCov), which was first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The virus was initially reported to the World Health Organization (W.H.O) on December 31, 2019; on January 30, 2020, WHO declared the Covid-19 outbreak a global health emergency. Later on March 11, 2020 it was declared a global pandemic: the beginning of the new normal.
At first, we taught the pandemic will be for a short time, but days begin to roll into weeks, weeks rolled into months, the lockdown began to get longer, palliatives are no longer coming and people began to ask when this pandemic will be over. With the lockdown intensified, public gatherings are no longer possible, there was sudden silence in the most populous streets of the world, emptiness in cathedrals and churches, in the market squares and play grounds; we longed for a hug and be hugged, but none came. We had taken God’s grace for granted; we thought it was our right to be in church, to shake hands with friends, and to socialize, but suddenly the government announces the principle of social distance, a theory of sanitizing and keeping safe.
Before the Covid-19, we were told that physical presence was compulsory at Masses. In fact, not attending Sunday’s Mass is a mortal sin, but the Covid-19 has taught us new possibilities, people had to join online Masses, collections were done through bank transfers where possible, without the traditional sprinkling of Holy water, even Confessions of sins was not possible physically: the Holy Father, Pope Francis had to teach new ways of holding on.
Now that the lockdown is seemingly over, how do we tell the people of God that physical presence at Mass is a must? What will be the approach to make every one return to the Sacraments? Would there be need for a new catechesis? Or we just pretend as if nothing had changed while we move on?
Definitely, something must be done; a new approach becomes a necessity, to respond to these challenges. Hence, the Post Covid-19 Ministers emerged within the lockdown to teach the Evangelized and Evangelisers the use of social media for effective evangelization. But how effective is this Media Education?
This paper will attempt to explore the effect of the Media Education on new evangelization: The post covid-19 experience. For the purpose of clarity and distinctiveness, the expository method of study would be preferable and adopted. Consequently, the work has been divided into four sub-headings with introduction as the spring board. We shall begin with what is Media Education, and conclude with recommendations.
MEDIA EDUCATION
According to Alice Y. L. Le, Media Education is the study of the media with the aim of cultivating people’s media literacy. In the past four decades, Media Education has rapidly developed in school systems and communities all over the world. Each country has its own developmental trajectory. With the rise of the interactive new media, during the Covid-19 pandemic, media education is going to have a paradigm shift, bringing media education study into a new era. Although different countries define media education in different ways, but they share the common goal of training media literate people to deal with the media in an intelligent and responsible way. Media education has been well developed in the West, but in recent years, Asia regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and Japan are gaining their momentum. With the emergence of various new media devices, media education is regarded as playing a more important role in the new evangelization process in the 21st century.
The traditional Catholic Church was not Media friendly: by this I mean that there was no much emphasis on the use of social media as such. Though many Churches are already using various social media platform for Evangelizations in different forms and places.
Looking at the Post Covid-19 experience, we can say that the development of Media Education in the process of evangelization is encouraging. It is widely agreed that being media literate becomes more important during the lock-down. Although the rationale and definition of Media Education vary in different countries, it seems that there is a consensus about the purpose of media education. It is to cultivate media literacy citizens who are able to deal with the media in an intelligent and responsible way.
EVANGELIZATION
Before we talk about New Evangelization, what is Evangelization? The word ‘Evangelization’ is taken from the Latin term evangere, which in turn comes from the Greek word euangelion, which means “Good News,” or “Gospel.” Frank Oborji likens the meaning of Evangelization to the ancient period when a slave is entrusted with the task of running back home from the battle arena, to proclaim or tell the good news that the battle has been won. According to Oborji, this slave came back home rejoicing as he carries the good news of victory.
The Modern Catholic Encyclopaedia observes that Evangelization has meant from the beginning of Christianity, the communication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. According to the Encyclopaedia, in the modern sense, the term designates the process by which a person is led to make a commitment to Christ, dedicate himself or herself to a Christian way of life and become a vital member of a local Church. In the words of Pope Paul VI, Evangelization means “. . . bringing the Good News into all strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new.” It means proclaiming the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ yet, or to those who know Christ but do not believe. The mission of Evangelization aims at proclaiming Jesus Christ to those who are outside the Church, to the sheep that do not yet belong to Jesus’ sheepfold (John 10:16). This is different from Pastoral Work which is all activity of the Church for the care and faith formation of the baptized.
“The task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church . . . Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize.” Jesus says to the disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). This is the mandate that Christ gave the apostles. To this, there was an appropriate response: “And they went forth and preached everywhere” (Mk 16:20). Like the apostle of the Gentiles, the Church in Nigeria can say: “I preach the Gospel . . . for necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (I Cor. 9:16).
In John Paul II’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, he makes it clear that evangelization is not a specialized activity for just a few, but is the basic right and duty of all believers. This actually re-echoes and correlates the words of Pope Paul VI: “The whole Church is missionary and the work of evangelization is a basic duty of the people of God”. It is precisely in this newly defined role that the term poses a challenge to many Catholics.
It was hitherto thought that the task of evangelization, as was earlier mentioned, was reserved for some people. But with the advent of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, the term became more lucidly explicated and redefined especially as it pertains to novel and contemporary challenges. The renewal which the Council brought was both illuminating and refreshing, because the notion of evangelization which was hitherto restricted, unidirectional and mainly reserved to the clergy, now assumed a wider, more diversified and enriching dimension.
The purpose of Evangelization is precisely to engender an interior turnaround, a change of heart. Thus, the Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely through the divine power of the message she proclaims to both the personal and collective consciences of the people, the activities in which they engage, and the lives and concrete milieu which are theirs.
NEW EVANGELIZATION
The term New Evangelization did not begin with the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, Pope Paul VI on December 1975, wrote to the Episcopate, Clergy and to all the Faithful of the entire world on Evangelization in the Modern World. In his introductory part he emphasized that the condition of the society in which we live oblige us to seek for a new method on how to bring the Gospel message to the modern man. He explained that evangelization is not an occasional or temporary task but a permanent and constitutive necessity of the Church. He therefore, called on all (Cleric and lay Faithful) to meditate and re-evaluate the three pertinent questions: “in our days what has happened to that hidden energy of the Good News, which is able to have a powerful effect on man’s conscience?. To what extent and in what way is that evangelical force capable of really transforming the people of this century?. What method should be followed in order that the power of the Gospel may have its effect?.”
There are many understanding of the word “evangelization” in our contemporary world of today. For some it is an activity whereby the Gospel is proclaimed and explained, in order to awaken the faith in non-Christians and foster in Christians the living faith. However, Pope Paul entrusted to the synod the task of bringing the traditional concept of the work of evangelization face to face with the new trends, to meet up with the circumstances of the time.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church Evangelization is the proclamation of Christ and his Gospel by word and the testimony of life, in fulfilment of Christ’s command. As such the Holy Mother church in obedience to Christ and because it is demanded by her essential universality, continues to preach the Good News to every generation and culture.
As the body of Christ the Church exists to as the visible presence of Christ to continue his mission of reconciling the world to God. He explained thus: “solely through the power of the Gospel itself, the church evangelizes when she seeks to convert the personal and collective consciences of people, the activities in which they engage their lives and their concrete situations”
The purpose of Evangelization is not just to cover a wide range, rather it is to bring about interior change that will affect the human race’s criteria of judgment, determining values, point of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration and models of life, which are in contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation. Evangelization has a primary goal of conversion; the call to a new evangelization is primarily a call to conversion for both Catholics and non Catholics. For the Catholics, it will be a deeper ongoing conversion in which they have a more profound life of faith and devotion and a greater awareness and hatred for their sins.
New Evangelization for non Catholics or fallen Catholics will mean a new awakening of the graces they received at baptism or a desire to know and have a relationship with Christ.
THE EFFECT OF THE MEDIA EDUCATION ON NEW EVANGELIZATION IN NIGERIA
Whether we acknowledge it or not, the Covid-19 pandemic crisis is a hinge point for the Church in Nigeria: some persons still participate in the online masses only, many are yet to return to the sacramental penitential rites and some still believe that they can survive without the gathering of people of God at the Church. Hence, the urgency of missionary activity becomes more pivotal from the radical newness of life brought by Covid-19 pandemic. The people of God are asked to accept and develop New Media Evangelization in order to realize the fullness of their vocation in conformity with Christ. This new life in the radical newness of the Gospel, also involves certain breaks from the customs and cultures, because the youth are more active on the Social Media. Hence post Covid-19 ministers must be abreast with the use of Social Media to be at the top of the game. But how do we train elderly ministers who are reluctant to embrace Social Media? How do we attend to the traditional parents who never had access to the Social Media?
Nigeria as a nation may be savouring in the glory of being the most religious country on the planet, but the recurrent indices of happenings in our society shows absolutely the contrary. Evangelization, in the words of John Paul II, stands for many of the essential values which the country lacks: hope, peace, joy, harmony, love and unity. These values are not only lacking in many parts of the country, but added to it, is abject poverty, mismanagement of resources, inter-tribal conflicts; to mention a few. How then, according to the Synodal Fathers, is the Christian message “Good News” in a country inundated with bad news? In the midst of an all pervading despair, where lies the hope and optimism, which the Gospel brings?
Post Covid-19 Media education on New Evangelization can be compared to the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him and departed, leaving him half dead (cf. Lk 10:30-37). In Nigeria, many – men and women, children and young people – are lying on the edge of the road, sick, injured, disabled, marginalized and abandoned. They are in need of Good Samaritans who will come to their aid. Thus, to Nigeria which is menaced on all sides, Evangelizers must refuse to be daunted and proclaim the hope of life rooted in the Paschal Mystery. But it seems the Media Education is slowed down, due to Nigeria peculiarities; sometimes by internets network, or lack of adequate funds.
But in order to fulfil this all-important task of New Evangelization amidst these growing challenges, John Paul II, in his Ecclesia in Africa, notes that formation is of primary importance in all areas of the Church’s life, because people who have never had the chance to learn cannot really know the truths of the faith, nor can they perform actions which they have never been taught. That’s where the effect of Media Education comes to play. We need to do more in educating the ministers to embrace this new way of Evangelization through the use of Media.
Nigerians, have a profound religious sense, a sense of the sacred, of the existence of God. The reality of sin is also very much present in their consciousness. In order not to disappoint this expectation, there is the need for the deepening of the faith. This will mean having the requisite understanding of the faith which Catholics profess and the responsibility in which adherents of this faith owe to further the mission of Christ.
In order that the Church in Nigeria may credibly evangelize, she must begin by being evangelized herself and purge herself of values that constitute hindrance to the message. By her constant conversion and renewal, the Church is empowered to witness credibly to the people of Nigeria in word and deed, and providing an effective witness demands a change of mentality (metanoia) and behaviour, and to lead a life nourished in the Church by the reception of the Sacraments, particularly, the Eucharist, which is the Sacrament of salvation.
Evangelization must denounce and combat all that degrades and destroys the person, especially, in a fast growing society like Nigeria, which not only violates the rights of the poor and helpless, but sometimes promote cultures that are alien to the Christian faith. The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of the ministry of evangelization in the social field.
Consecrated men and women, no doubt, have a special role to play in the mission of Media Evangelization. John Paul II points out the need for consecrated persons to receive an integral human formation, as well as one which is solid in its spiritual, doctrinal, apostolic, missionary, biblical and theological dimensions. Further, he notes that: “Consecrated life has a particular function not only of indicating to all the call to holiness, but also of witnessing to fraternal life in Community. Thus, all who live the consecrated life are called to respond to their vocation in the spirit of communion and cooperation with the respective Bishops, Clergy and laity.” There is need for an occasional renewal of vows or commitment, even after one has made his or her final commitment; so that there will always be that returning to the spirit or way of life of the Founder. This, it is hoped, will revitalize the zeal for evangelization.
The work of evangelization will no doubt be more effective when members of the Clergy adequately support and, in fact, be at the forefront of this venture. This is not just by teaching or proclamation, for Pope Paul VI points out that: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers. And if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” Hence, the way of life of the Bishops and priests speaks volumes.
Priests are urged to strive to be faithful to their vocation in the total gift of self to their mission and in full communion with their Bishop. Bishops are to see to the ongoing formation of Priests, especially in the first years of their ministry, helping them especially to deepen their understanding of sacred celibacy and to persevere in living it faithfully.
CONCLUSION
Nigerians and the Church in Nigeria in particular, must not be deceived by the country’s rating on religion. There is enormous work to be done. The formation of the agents of Evangelization (the Family, the Laity, Consecrated men and women and the Clergy) is incumbent on the Church’s hierarchy. The Church must realize that for there to be effective evangelization, evangelizers must first be evangelized. The evangelizers’ concrete witness of life must challenge and ultimately change the deep seated corrupt structures inherent in virtually all fabrics of Nigerian life.
As part of ways of bringing alive in Nigeria the teachings of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and especially, the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa, we must also realize that we are one family, and a good understanding of this will spur us to bring every member of the family to the light of truth, to Christ, the Shepherd of the sheep. If the Church in Nigeria can rise up to the challenge of entrenching the redefined notion of Media evangelization as that which is the duty of every baptized Catholic, it would bring about the reign of God and the salvation of Nigerians.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peter M. J. Stravinkas, “Evangelization” Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by Peter M. J. Stravinkas, USA: Huntington, Indiana, 1991.
Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity, Ad Gentes Divinitus December 7, 1965.
Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi, December 8, 1975.
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Africa September 14, 1995.
Skok, Charles, “Evangelization”, Michael Glazier and Monika K. Hellwig (ed.), The Modern Catholic Encyclopedia (Minnesota: Liturgical Press Collegeville), p. 298.
Global Christianity: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Christian Population. Retrived 29-12-2011.
The Oxford Universal Dictionary (1933), s.v. “Oxford Press.”
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