Fr. Anthony OGUNYALE

Theme: “Preserving Human Voices and Faces”

 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today, the Church all over the world celebrates World Communications Sunday. For us here in the Archdiocese of Ibadan, it also marks the beginning of our Communications Week. It is not just another programme on the calendar of the Church. It is a moment for us to pause, to think, to examine ourselves, and to renew the way we speak, the way we listen, the way we use media, and the way we carry Christ into the world. The theme before us this year is very timely: “Preserving Human Voices and Faces.”

When I first reflected on this theme, I said to myself: this is not only about phones, cameras, social media, radio, television, or artificial intelligence. It is about the human person. It is about you and me. It is about the danger of living in a world that is becoming louder every day, yet many hearts are becoming emptier. Everywhere we turn today, there is communication. Phones are ringing. WhatsApp messages are entering. Videos are playing. News is moving fast. Social media does not sleep. Yet, with all this noise, many people are still unheard, unseen, unloved, and lonely.

This is the pain of our time. People are talking more, but listening less. People are posting more, but understanding less. In many homes, the family is seated together, but each person is inside his or her own phone. Husband and wife may be in the same room, yet far from each other. Parents may be close to their children physically, but distant from them emotionally. Friends may chat for hours online, but when they meet face to face, there is no deep conversation. Even sometimes before Mass, instead of quiet prayer, our hearts are already running after notifications and distractions.

That is why the Church is calling us back today. Communication must not lose its humanity. Behind every message, every photograph, every broadcast, every comment, and every post, there is a human being created in the image and likeness of God. That person has a heart. That person has a story. That person has struggles. That person has dignity. So, as Communicators of the Gospel, we are not called simply to pass information. We are called to preserve dignity, truth, compassion, and real human encounter.

The Church cannot remain silent in this digital age. We cannot abandon radio, television, print media, social media, video production, and other platforms. These are now parts of the mission field. The Gospel must enter there too. But as we go into these spaces, we must go with Christ. We must go with conscience. We must go with charity. Our communication must be truthful, respectful, human, and hope-filled. The human voice must not be drowned by noise and misinformation. The human face must not disappear behind technology and virtual culture. As Catholics, we are called to bring light where there is darkness, truth where there is confusion, and hope where there is fear.

My dear people of God, from the beginning, God has always communicated. God spoke creation into being. God spoke through the prophets. And in the fullness of time, God did not merely send a message; He sent His Son. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. God took a human face. He entered our history. He walked our roads. He listened to people. He touched the sick. He called sinners by name. He looked at people not as crowds to be used, but as souls to be saved.

This is very important for us today. True communication is personal. True communication preserves dignity. True communication does not crush people. It heals. It builds. It corrects with love. It speaks truth without removing mercy. When Jesus met the woman caught in adultery, He did not turn her into public entertainment. When He met Zacchaeus, He did not reduce him to his bad reputation. When He met the blind man by the roadside, He stopped and listened. Jesus shows us that communication must always see the person before the problem.

But sadly, in our world today, words have become weapons. Social media have become a battlefield. Many people forward messages without checking whether they are true. Some people destroy another person’s name with one post. Some insult people they have never met. Some turn people’s pain into entertainment. And sometimes, because we are hiding behind a screen, we say things we would never have the courage to say face to face. This is one of the great spiritual dangers of our age. Technology can slowly remove tenderness from the heart if we are not careful.

Now we are also in a time when artificial intelligence and advanced technology can imitate voices, generate images, write speeches, and create conversations. These tools can be useful, yes, but no machine can replace the human soul. No machine can replace compassion. No algorithm can replace conscience. No digital system can replace the warmth of a real human presence. The danger is not technology itself. Technology is only a tool. The danger begins when the tool starts controlling the human being, instead of the human being using the tool responsibly.

My dear brothers and sisters, the digital world is now one of the great mission territories of our time. We cannot simply complain that social media is bad and then leave it in the hands of darkness. The Gospel must also be heard there. A short message can strengthen someone who is discouraged. A homily shared online can bring someone back to God. A simple prayer can touch a heart far away. A testimony can awaken faith. Even one responsible post can become an instrument of grace.

As we begin this Communications Week, the Church is inviting us back to authentic encounter. She is asking us to preserve human voices and human faces. She is reminding us that communication must defend truth, dignity, compassion, and genuine human connection. In our African culture, we know the value of sitting together, greeting one another, listening to elders, telling stories, and allowing the face to speak what the heart carries. We must not allow the beauty of that human warmth to die because of screens.

To all those involved in communication within the Church, our media teams, broadcasters, livestream operators, editors, photographers, announcers, social media managers, journalists, and content creators, your work is not just technical. It is pastoral. It is evangelical. It is spiritual. You are not merely handling cameras and microphones. You are helping the Church to reach souls. You are shaping minds. You are carrying the voice of the Gospel. Never forget the sacred responsibility attached to communication.

And to our young people especially, I say this with love: do not allow the digital world to define your worth. Your value does not come from likes, views, trends, comments, or followers. Your dignity comes from God. Never trade your soul for attention. Never sacrifice truth just to become popular. Never lose your real self while trying to create an online image. The human face is sacred because it reflects the image of God. The human voice is sacred because it can proclaim truth, healing, and hope.

As we continue this Eucharistic celebration, let us ask the Lord to purify our speech, purify our hearts, and purify our communication. May our words never destroy others. May our platforms never spread darkness. May our voices speak truth with love. May our media work lead people closer to Christ. And may our lives reveal the face of Christ to the world.

Amen.