Bachelor Of Sacred Theology

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Browsing Bachelor Of Sacred Theology by Author "D'SOUZA, WILFRED"

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    IMPACT OF THE RADIO AND TELEVISION IN PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENTS ON THE CATHOLIC YOUTH: A Case study of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall Kampala
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) D'SOUZA, WILFRED
    1. Background and Significance of the Study The permanent bureau of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar meeting in Accra Ghana in 1993, issued a document New Christian Movements in Africa and Madagascar' in which it observed that contemporary Africa is witnessing an explosion of new religious movements. Mainline Churches such as the Catholic Church have been greatly affected, losing substantial numbers of the youth to these new groups. The new movements are promising quick happiness, contentment and purpose in life to the hundreds of thousands of young people they are attracting into their ranks. This constitutes an urgent pastoral challenge to the Catholic Church. 2. Statement of the Problem The challenge is to understand what these movements are, what is making them so successfiil in attracting the Catholic youth into their ranks, and what needs these groups are meeting which the Catholic Church is failing to answer. By far, the brand of these new Christian movements that is proving so attractive to the Catholic youth, is Pentecostalism. It is the type that largely dominates the African landscape, and it is the type that is spreading rapidly through crusades, revivals and workshops that have become a feature in many African cities. Pentecostalism is vigorously being spread through radio and television because Pentecostal movements see the modern media as a prime source of recruitment of youth and a means of spreading the word of God. Several radio and television stations have been set up by different Pentecostal groups, and other groups that cannot afford to 'SECA M (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar), Afew Christian Movements in :grow and Madagastar.Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi 1993. set up their own stations, have huge budgets for purchase of airtime. They put to shame many Catholic groups in this regard. To examine the appeal of Pentecostalism to the Catholic youth, this essay explores where many youth first get introduced to Pentecostalism, the Pentecostal radio and television stations. Many young people find the electronic media of Pentecostal movements more appealing than the Catholic electronic media. The reasons that explain the attraction of young people to the radio and televisions of Pentecostal groups, are the very reasons that explain the appeal of Pentecostalism to the Catholic youth. Since these new religious movements are largely an urban phenomenon and place much importance on evangelization through extensive use of the electronic media as priest-anthropologist Aylward Shorter observes, Uganda's capital Kampala was an ideal place in which to situate our research. Uganda's current president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on coming to power in 1986, stressed freedom of worship laying the ground for the rapid growth of Pentecostal movements that had been outlawed by Idd Amin's regime. Museveni has liberalized Uganda's airwaves leading to the setting up of many privately owned FM radio and television stations. Several of these FM radio and television stations belong to different Pentecostal groups. 3. Description of the study site The research for this essay particularly sampled the urban youth of Nsambya Youth Sharing Hall in Kampala city. 'Sharing' as the youth center is popularly known among youth circles, is a large youth center that was begun by the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in 1986 to reach out to the urban youth. It is believed by many youth chaplains across Uganda to be a model youth program. 2 4. Hypotheses and Research Methods This research was based on three main hypotheses; the First being that the electronic media used by Pentecostal movements has a stronghold on the Catholic youth, Secondary that there are some needs of the Catholic youth which the Catholic electronic media is not adequately addressing, and Thirdly that there are some features of the Kampala situation which have favored more the development of the electronic media of Pentecostal churches than the Catholic media. The research methods employed, included administering a questionnaire to Catholic youth, interviews with the youth, youth chaplains and those engaged in the running of the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media, and lastly listening and viewing both the Catholic and Pentecostal electronic media. 5. Organization of the Study This work is divided into four chapters. Chapter One gives a presentation of the origins of Pentecostalism in the world and in Uganda, its general characteristics and main groupings in Kampala, Chapter Two examines the message spread by these movements, analyzed against the socio-economic and psycho-religious needs of the Kampala youth. Chapter Three restates the Church's call to a serious media ministry because that is where most Catholic youth are being introduced and eventually recruited into Pentecostalism. This work closes with proposals on how to do an effective youth ministry especially through the mass media.