A notable Nigerian Priest has recently urged Catholic Youths all over the world to Counter Growing Paganism by using the media to Catechize their Peers. Catholic youths have the possibility of constructively engaging social media and counter the growing trend of paganism, including the appetite for “quick money” that has reportedly lured a section of young people in Nigeria into “fetish practices”, a Catholic Priest in the West African nation has said.

In an interview with the Catholic Media on the sidelines of a spotlight program that the Social Communications Department of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja organized to mark the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the temple, Fr. Simon Onyekachi Madu called upon Catholic youths to catechize their peers through social media posts.

“Youths are drawn to quick money, ritual killings, and internet fraud. It is all idolatry, whether in the form of fetish practices or material obsession.” Fr. Madu, a social media influencer who was the guest speaker at the February 2 event told the Catholic media.

He urged Catholic youths, who he said “are constantly online” to engage in digital forums “to evangelize their peers and draw them back to the faith through catechizing them with the type of post they share.”

“Many young people think social media is only for trends, scams, and entertainment. But it can also be used to showcase talents, build businesses, and make good money – not bad money and to evangelize their peers who may be on their way out of the faith; this can make them return to the faith” the Nigerian member of the Oblates of St. Joseph (OSJ) said.

He called upon other pastoral agents, including the Clergy, men, and women Religious, to engage young people through digital platforms.

“I have witnessed firsthand how my online presence influenced young Catholics. When I ministered in Italy, children in my parish were excited to know that their Priest was an influencer. They came to church to see me, and through that, I was able to teach them about faith,” he shared.

Fr. Madu continued, “If Priests leverage social media, they can counteract the negative influences and provide sound catechesis for the youths and other Catholics who are not well rooted in the Catholic faith.”

He lamented negative social media engagements, with a section of digital evangelists facing negative criticism and backlash in what he described as “modern-day martyrdom”.

“If you present views contrary to the popular opinion, you will face criticism. Your comment section will be flooded with backlash. I’ve experienced this many times. Initially, it hurt, but I later realized that even opposition creates engagement,” Fr. Madu recalled in the February 2 interview on the sidelines of the initiative organized under the theme, “Social media in Evangelization”.

Throughout history, God has used angels, prophets, and ultimately His Son, Jesus Christ, to deliver the message of salvation, he said referring to the beginning of the Letter to the Hebrews, and continued, “Technology becomes the vehicle to carry this message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.”

Fr. Madu said that despite the benefits of digitality, one has to be cautious. Digitality, he said, “is a double-edged sword. While it is a great tool for evangelization, it can also be used for misinformation and fake news. People crave traffic on their pages and may spread misleading information just to gain attention.”

He cautioned against naivety, noting that many individuals lack the patience to verify information, making them susceptible to deception. “Anyone using social media must be intentional and discerning. Otherwise, they may fall victim to its negative effects,” he cautioned.

The OSJ member noted that social media can be a tool for bullying and attacks against faith-based views. He advocated for intentional and responsible engagement online. “We must understand the rules of digital platforms and use built-in tools to filter offensive comments,” Fr. Madu said.

He noted that content creators can set up automatic filters to remove harmful remarks. “On my live prayer sessions, I have keywords flagged so that offensive comments are automatically pulled down. This prevents distractions and allows people to focus on prayer,” Fr. Madu said.

The Catholic Priest advocated for the spirit of charity and respect in online discussions, saying, “What applies in real life should apply online. Don’t do it on social media if you wouldn’t insult someone face-to-face.”

He called upon the Clergy to embrace digital tools, emphasizing that the Catholic Church acknowledges the value of digitality.

“The 1983 Code of Canon Law (Canon 822, Paragraph 1) encourages Priests to use social means of communication. Pope Francis has also stressed the need for seminarians to be trained in ICT,” Fr. Madu, who serves as the assistant Parish Priest of St. Cecilia Catholic Church of Ibadan Archdiocese said.

To ensure the effectiveness of digital evangelization, Fr. Madu proposed that social media training be included in the Major Seminary curricula. “While studying in Rome, I observed that Seminarians were trained in content creation and digital communication. They used their phones and computers for learning and evangelization,” he told the media.

Fr. Madu noted with appreciation that some Major Seminaries in Nigeria are incorporating ICT into their curricula, adding that more needs to be done.

“The Church should integrate social media training into Seminary formation, making it a compulsory course,” he emphasized, adding, “This will prepare future Priests for the realities of digital evangelization.”

Day: February 6, 2025

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