Digital evangelisation - CathNews New Zealand

Bishops to African digital influencers: ‘Brace for the challenges ahead'

Ronan — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 05:53:58 +0000

Members of the African Synodal Digital Youth Influencers who graduated recently from the African Digital Faith Influencers Formation program of the Pan African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) were told to "brace for the challenges that lie ahead of [them] in the digital peripheries [they] seek to evangelise."

In his keynote address at the Sept 12 graduation ceremony, Bishop Godfrey Igwebuike Onah of Nigeria's Diocese of Nsukka warned the 56 participants in the PACTPAN program about the complexities of digital spaces.

Onah reminded the graduates that in the Church, the digital world is still at the periphery and needs to be evangelised.

"Life at the periphery is not easy. There is no order. If you have experienced a slum in any city, then you will understand that evangelising the periphery is not a joke," he said.

Bishops to African digital influencers: ‘Brace for the challenges ahead'

Modern missionaries urged to embrace internet

Ronan — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:08:32 +0000

Modern-day missionaries are being urged to embrace the internet as a crucial mission frontier for engaging with the modern world.

People aren't flocking to churches, but they are on their devices. And that's where the message needs to be delivered, José Manuel De Urquidi told NCR Vatican correspondent Christopher White.

Urquidi is the founder of the Juan Diego Network which supports Catholic digital ministries to connect with Latinos.

During last fall's synod, Urquidi was one of a few voices who, over the course of the month-long summit, continually made the case that the internet is "a place of encounter" and that "it's not a tool, but rather a culture".

He advocated for the Church to adopt a missionary mindset towards the digital world, akin to the methodical approach of past evangelists.

Gone are the days of simply creating online content and hoping it resonates.

"We have never been afraid as a church for 20 centuries to be out there" said De Urquidi.

"You were sent on a mission, and who could know what would happen?"

For Urquidi, the church has always been aware that sending missionaries into new frontiers entails risks, including martyrdom.

"We've never been afraid of that" he said. "Why are we now afraid of the internet? What's the difference?"

Urquidi's message is direct: Like those earlier missionaries of centuries past, the digital space is "a place where we need to be. We need to learn the language and to engage".

Digital Synod

A network of "digital missionaries" is being formed.

Individuals with online followings utilise platforms like podcasts and social media to connect with others personally.

These are at the forefront of a new mission frontier.

The Church's digital mission gained momentum through initiatives like the "digital synod" spearheaded by Msgr Lucio Ruiz.

This effort mobilised over 2,000 "digital missionaries" to engage Catholics and non-Catholics alike. They amplified their voices in discussions about the Church's future.

This approach acknowledges that meeting people where they are comfortable is crucial.

While the ultimate goal may be guiding individuals towards a sacramental life, the Church understands the journey can involve many steps.

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

CathNews New Zealand

Modern missionaries urged to embrace internet

God is trending

denisohagan — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 06:59:03 +0000

Kyle Winkler, co-creator of an Instagram meme account called "I Need God In Every Moment Of My Life," says that Catholicism and Christianity are gaining interest from unexpected sources.

He believes the pattern is partly a reaction against the stigma toward religion in older generations, with gen Z now able to customise their belief systems in online spaces.

"For people who identify differently or who feel like they wouldn't belong normally, it's cool to see space carved out," he said.

He said there's still a yearning and hopefulness that we can remake institutions or traditions that suit who we are now in time. So yeah, a reclamation." Read more

God is trending

Don't be afraid to make mistakes

Juliet Palmer — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 08:00:26 +0000

Pope Francis has told Catholic youth not to be afraid to make mistakes when on mission.

He made the comment last weekend when speaking to the young people gathered for the "Hechos 29" youth conference in Mexico.

"I never tire of repeating that I prefer a church that is wounded because it goes out to the existential peripheries of the world, rather than a church that is sick because it remains closed up in its own little securities," Francis said.

Christians must never give in to the fear of making mistakes when evangelising, he stressed. "This is especially so when reaching out to those in need in the digital space."

The conference blurb says it is "an international meeting of digital evangelisers that seeks to awaken in all participants the desire to become and to build up the Church".

Francis told the young men and women attending Hechos 29 that the conference was "an important initiative for missionary work in digital environments.

"May this meeting help you to feel like a community, as part of the missionary life of the church, which has never been afraid to go out to meet new horizons and frontiers. And, with creativity and courage, announce the mercy and tenderness of God," he said.

Francis also referred to his address to church leaders during his visit to Canada last month. He emphasised the need to "find new ways to proclaim the heart of the Gospel to those who have not yet encountered Christ".

Modern-day evangelisers must use "pastoral creativity to reach people where they live, not waiting for them to come, but where they live, discovering opportunities for listening, dialogue and encounter" he said.

"The Lord knocks on the door to enter within us, but how often does he knock on the door from the inside, so that we may let him out," he said.

He urged the young evangelisers to carry out their mission and to be good Samaritans in the digital space "so that contemporary culture can know God by feeling him within you.

"Go and bring the hope of Jesus, especially to those who are farthest away, giving them reasons for their hope," he said.

"May your words be accompanied by charity, and may your virtual presence strengthen your physical presence, so that the network may generate communion which makes Jesus present in your culture."

NCR Online

Don't be afraid to make mistakes