Make best use of media opportunities to proclaim Good News: Cardinal Toppo

Ranchi – “The modern mass media are truly ‘God’s gifts to humanity’ and they have created new opportunities to proclaim the Good News. We need to make the best of these opportunities to share the message of Jesus Christ,” said Archbishop of Ranchi, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo at a communications workshop entitled “Called to be a Communicating Church” organized by the Bihar–Jharkhand Regional Catholic Bishops’ Council recently at the Archbishop’s House, Ranchi.

Archbishop Toppo, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India expressed his appreciation of the contribution media made in India and observed, “We need to do more, especially in the mainstream media. In order to do this we need to come out of our old mind–sets and think afresh to achieve optimum results.”

Stressing on the need for proclamation he continued, “The Good News is the most precious gift God has placed in our hands. We need to reach it to as many as possible, specially to the poor and needy, bringing to them peace and joy of the Lord.”

Earlier, the chairman of the BIJHAN Catholic Bishops’ Council, Rev. Charles Soreng, bishop of Hazaribhag said, “When the revolution in communications is profoundly influencing India, the Church in Jharkhand cannot afford to be a silent spectator. We need to mobilize our resources, train appropriate persons and effectively promote communications ministry in the region.”

At the end of the two–day workshop the bishops decided to set up communications facilities for the Jharkhand region. The same would be done in the light of the recently prepared National Pastoral Plan for Communications and the Final Statement of the CBCI General Body Meeting 2004.

Also, while setting up the regional office for communications, it was decided to seek the help from the already existing institutions in the region, viz. Satya Bharti in Ranchi and XLRI Institute based in Jamshedpur. The bishops also decided promote the rich cultural heritage of the region and to train talented persons for communications apostolate in the region.

At the end of the workshop Bishop of Jamshedpur, Bishop Felix Toppo observed jokingly, “Some of the media–shy bishops turned media–friendly!”

The workshop was animated by the Executive Secretary of the CBCI Commission for Social Communications, Father Henry D’Souza.

At the end of the workshop Cardinal Toppo and Bishop Charles Soreng addressed a press conference. It was clearly evident that the Ranchi Archdiocese has maintained an excellent rapport with the local media persons.