Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
After Pope Francis created the Covid-19 Commission last month to show the Church’s solidarity with the people affected globally and to address Coronavirus aftermath, Executive Council of Union of the African Catholic Press (UCAP) has called on Catholic journalists in Africa to volunteer and support the Pope’s initiative in their various capabilities.
“As Catholic journalists, we should heed this call by supporting the Commission on this noble cause, by volunteering our journalistic skills and platforms, by identifying and highlighting the real needs of our local Churches, especially those in poor areas as per the Papal appeal,” reads the UCAP statement signed by the union’s President, George Sunguh.
In the statement dated Monday, April 27, Catholic journalists across Africa are also requested to “support the Commission in line with the encyclical letter, Laudato Si,” where Pope Francis calls “for all to take care of our ‘Common Home,’ the Planet.”
“Pope Francis had asked all people to be united and involved in creating a new dialogue about the future of the planet,” the UCAP Executive council stated in a letter copied to Fr Janvier Yameogo of the Dicastery for Communication in the Vatican and Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, the President of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS).
The created Covid-19 Commission which is headed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) under the leadership of its prefect His Eminence Peter Kodwo Cardinal Turkson and in collaboration with Caritas Internationalis, has already created a Covid-19 solidarity fund meant to help the Commission find how to offer support to the needy.
“We should not leave out the vulnerable groups such as prisoners, widows, orphans and street families, who are all going through very difficult moments due to the pandemic.” The UCAP Council underscored, reminding Catholic journalists about the various susceptible groups in society who should not be ignored.