Laity, communicators not commentators – priest

ILOILO City, March 21, 2014 – A recent media forum about the role of the laity in media highlighted how lay people should communicate more and not just comment about events.

“The laity should be more of communicators rather than commentators; more proposing rather than imposing,” said Rev. Fr. Joenick Territorio, JCD, Director of Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Laity, the resource speaker of a media forum organized by the Archdiocese of Jaro last March 13 at the Blessed John Paul II Hall, Archbishop’s Residence.

Fr. Joenick Territorio gives a talk on “Laity in the Church and in the World” at the media forum. (Photo Credit: Elsa Subong)

He also cited the guiding principles on the vocation and apostolate of the laity, stressing that for the laity to be leaven in the world and in the Church, they need formation. Fr. Territorio pointed out the Jaro Archdiocese’s pastoral priority of reaching out to the faithful through the Magagmay nga Kristianong Katilingban (MKKs) or the BECs.

Laity’s “moral compass”

When asked by Katesismo sa Kahanginan Apostolate (KSKA) covenant partner Emma Ingalla about how lay people should deal with questionable segments in some TV programs, Fr. Territorio said, these instances is where formation and the “interior moral compass” of the laity should come in.

An open forum followed Fr. Territorio’s talk on the “Laity in the Church and in the World” with a panel of reactors: Msgr. Joemarie Delgado, director of Jaro Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (SocCom), Mr. Francis Allan Angelo, executive director of The Daily Guardian, a local newspaper, and president of the Iloilo Press Club and Mr. Eric Divinagracia, TOYM Awardee and professor and artistic director of the Little Theatre of the University of San Agustin, Iloilo.

Attendees of the 8th Msgr. Jose Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum listen to how the laity can shape modern media and communications (Photo Credit: Elsa Subong)

Msgr. Delgado affirmed his co-reactors’ views that the laity are “effective leaven in the dough”, adding that the Church needs to be “marinated” in the world of media, such as through the maximum use of cyberspace. He said, this is needed to establish an effective relationship between laity, Church and media.

Dr. Dolores Octaviano, of the Archdiocesan Commission on Family and Life, reminded the participants to be brave in their mission as collaborators of the Church, in line with the 2014 ‘Year of the Laity’ theme “Called to be Saints, Sent forth as Heroes”.

“Fulton Sheen of Iloilo”

The Archdiocese of Jaro holds the Msgr. Jose Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum annually on the occasion of the death anniversary of Msgr. Jose ‘Pepe’ Buenaflor, considered the “Fulton Sheen of Iloilo.” The Venerable Fulton Sheen was anAmerican archbishop known for his preaching and especially for his pioneering use of the mass media in the service of evangelization.

In his inspirational message, Jaro Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo cited Msgr. Buenaflor’s work in his tri-media apostolate as the priest’s greatest legacy.

The Archbishop said that the late cleric’s zeal and efforts — despite his advanced age of 88 – in media evangelization serve as an inspiration to priests and to the laity as well.

KSKA Vice President and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Iloilo Manager and Training Officer, Elsa Subong was the moderator of the media forum.

Msgr. Sergio Jamoyot, Rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, imparted the blessing to the participants at the end of the event.

The Media Forum was organized by the KSKA, under the leadership of its president, Rev. Fr. Elmo Montaño, and in coordination with SocCom.

The forum was attended by KSKA Covenant Partners, media practitioners, members of religious organizations, notably the Daughters of Mary Immaculate International (DMII), with its Archdiocesan Regent, Mrs. Emma Victoria, who is also KSKA’s treasurer. (Lilia Robles/Fr. Mickey Cardenas)