BY Chris Onuoha

Lumen Christi Television is the first African Catholic Television Network with operational base in Lagos Nigeria. It celebrated her first anniversary in May, 2015 having started a year ago. In a chart with Vanguard, the founder, Prince Robert-Joseph Soji Olagunju, spoke on the idea behind establishing a Catholic Broadcasting station, first of its kind in Africa.

In the beginning

Lumen Christi TV celebrated her one year anniversary on May 13, 2015. Many people in Nigeria are not aware of the TV station. It was established on the platform of educating the public about Catholic Church and doctrines. We used the opportunity of the anniversary to examine what we have done so far and also to let people, especially Catholic faithful, know the existence of 1st African Catholic Television Network in Nigeria. It operates on MyTV satellite platform.

The name, LUMEN CHRISTI, is derived from the act of lighting the candle during catholic celebrations, which usually goes with a chant- ‘Lumen Christi,’ meaning the light of Christ. Besides, we believe that the world is living in the dark – full of immorality, crime, confusion, sin, corruption, without embracing Christianity as it should be. We also believe that there should be a shining light in form of Catholic TV station to overpower such vices and bring some form of sanity to the world.

What informed the idea?

It was a divine provision from God. There were other projects I have in mind with a readily capital set aside. When the calling became intense, I have to divert all the resources to it for it to materialize faster. As an economist, I already know the facts of investments and returns but in this case, I felt that nothing could be more rewarding in life than investing in God’s own project which is evangelism in any form. In any case, I feel this sort of project will bring dividends to my family, and people that will benefit from the programmes which to me is a divine dividend than the material gains in the secular world. To that extent, the urge became more defined for the reason of choosing this project. Besides, God made sure the funds are available to see it through. With the resources available, we kicked off the station. Although it is not for profit making, rather for pure evangelization in the catholic way as the mother church has made it to be.

However, Catholic Church, being the first and foremost church in Africa does not have own voice on air. When other denominations are leveraging on the massive broadcast units to disseminate, evangelize, preach, and showcase their programmes, the Catholic Church seems to be at the back seat in Africa. For that reason, I believe we should have our own to do things the proper Catholic way, hence, the name Lumen Christi, meaning ‘the light has come to change things.’

What are you doing differently?

In Lumen Christi, we communicate, entertain, evangelize and educate like any other broadcasting station transmitting from MyTV free to air satellite platform. Of course, we are in the era of digitization. Besides, our intension and vision is to be accessed and viewed globally. The difference and uniqueness is in our programmes, which is Catholic-based and endorsed by the Vatican. However, we try to bring it to public knowledge, that there is nothing secretive about catholic religion and mode of worship as assumed by non- Catholics through our TV broadcast.

There seems to be a bias from the general public on Catholic doctrine – the way missal is celebrated, the Latin language usage and mode of worship like the kneeler and sign of cross which other denomination don’t   practice. These are signs of sacredness and piety to God. In other words, issues of bad moral conduct and behaviour are individually based and not a religious practice. Some people who left the Catholic Church did that out of ignorance. I believe while watching Lumen Christi, one will realize that those things that made them leave to other churches are not real. Many have come back to Catholic while some are contemplating to do so.

Are your Programmes restricted to Catholics alone?

Lumen Christi is the only Catholic Television station in Africa that serves the interest of Catholic faithful and the public alike, apart from American-based Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) that serves same purpose in larger scale. We are non- partial in inter human relations with non-Catholics. Our programmes are universally enriching and cut across all human interests based on Catholic doctrine on moralities – issues of marital life, family morals, societal norms and others, which hinged on good conducts as professed by the church. We also feature special programmes that clarify those controversies people see as hindrance in worshipping with catholic.

Lumen Christi is in collaboration with EWTN as a sister station for exchange programmes and capacity enhancement.   With such exchange, EWTN which broadcasts from America has things to enjoy from us, such as our traditional mode of celebrating mass and thanksgiving in Africa, likewise over 30 million Catholic faithful in Nigeria, who will benefit from our services, right in their sitting room.

Our programmes are 70 percent indigenous and 30 percent foreign, structured to suit our viewers’ interest in tally with their day-to-day activities. Plans are in place to actively engage in other social media platforms like the mobile phone and computer software – apps, iTunes, YouTube etc, even TVs without having a satellite decoder. This is to enhance our visibility and millage for our numerous viewing audiences since Catholic Church is the most universal church with virtually dioceses in every community in African states and institutions.

We welcome viewers’ constructive comments to assist us grow and remain relevant to the society with the programmes we air. Sponsorship from general public are welcomed since this is a not-for-profit outfit for evangelism. Assistance can come through material, spiritual, programmes exchange and financial contribution as the project is highly capital intensive ranging from content acquisitions, equipment maintenance and daily sustainability of the evangelization process.

Critical issue on same-sex marriage has been in the talk for some time now, what are your views?

To a pure catholic, it is impracticable. The church has made their stand known and set the rules of moral which no one should go against if truly the fellow is honest to himself and faithful to God.   Same sex marriage is an aberration and it doesn’t make sense to me as a person. For Lumen Christi station, we have championed the cause to air every contrary opinion towards that. Whenever the church pronounces any statement, we make sure we air it not only that but we sustain and authenticate it. For us, it is unethical and wrong.

Besides, we have continued to pray for them. We don’t condemn them. There is nobody God cannot change. Even Paul was changed but the most important thing is that we should not let them influence our children.