Church must restore primacy of interpersonal communications, urges Khandwa Bishop

Ujjain – “In a world revolutionised by the modern means of communications and human communications dominated by ever–expanding technologies, the church communicators need to restore the primacy of interpersonal communications,” declared Bishop Leo Cornelio of Khadwa diocese.

Bishop Cornelio was inaugurating a four–day National Conference on Bible and Communication, jointly organised by the CBCI Commission for Social Communications and Ruhalaya Seminary. The conference was held in the Ruhalaya Theologate, Ujjain.

Commenting on the increasing tendency among people today to be too dependent on gadgets, Bishop Cornelio said, “more and more people are taking recourse to more and more gadgets, which at times enslave them, people seem to be forgetting to communicate with each other. This tendency has serious implications to the vital social units of the society such as family and neighbourhoods. The situation calls for a correction.”

Speaking on the importance of the Word of God the bishop continued, “The Bible is the most precious gift of God. We need to appreciate this gift and proclaim the Good News ever more enthusiastically and powerfully.”

In his presidential address, Bishop Sebastian Vadackel of Ujjain urged the Scripture scholars and communicators to be “filled with the Holy Spirit and be fired by the power of the Holy Spirit”. He emphasised on the need of giving personal witness while proclaiming the Word of God.

Scripture professor from the Saint Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore, Fr. Stany Goveas presented the keynote address prepared by Dr. Patrick Meagher of the Society of Jesus.

The co–organiser of the conference and member of the Missionary Society of Saint Thomas Fr. Jose Palakeel said, “The National Conference is being organised in response to the emerging communication revolution. With its ease, facility and sensorial reach and multi–sensorial method, the modern communication can be used to make the Good News heard far and wide.”

The conference is intended to “serve as a common platform for Bible scholars and communication experts to charter a synergic course for communicating the Gospel.”

Forty Scripture scholars, communicators and seminary professors participated in the conference which was addressed by scholars like Fr. Gaston Roberge, Dr. Maria Arul Raja, renounced artiste Dr. Solomon Raj and others.