Archbishop Nwachukwu: Communication in the service of the Gospel

By Rocío García – Kigali, Rwanda

Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu took part in the Congress’s first plenary session of SIGNIS 2026, entitled “Digital Communication for Cultural Harmony and Environmental Well-being.” During his address, he said that humanity faces a choice: to remain in a world marked by confusion, self-sufficiency and noise, or to rebuild together the walls of a city where God and humanity can dwell in communion.

As a response to this challenge, he echoed Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to build a civilization of love—a task that, he said, can be accomplished “brick by brick” by disciples carrying cameras, microphones and laptops: men and women convinced that discipleship must come before influence.

Building on this reflection on the identity and mission of the Christian communicator, the Archbishop spoke with Vatican News, offering further insight into the vocation and role of those engaged in communication.

Communicators: Apostles in the New Spaces of Evangelization

Asked about the virtues that should characterize communicators serving the mission of evangelization, Archbishop Nwachukwu stressed that they are called to practice a form of communication that becomes a means of salvation, one capable of conveying God’s love and proclaiming the presence of Jesus Christ.

Recalling Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations,” he explained that, at the time, nations were understood primarily as physical places.

Today, however, new spaces have emerged where people meet, interact and build communities, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other digital platforms. For this reason, he said, the Good News of the Lord is not called to remain confined to physical spaces but must also reach the digital world.

He also emphasized the importance of embracing this vocation with full awareness, so that every piece of content published—whether an article, an image or an audiovisual production— becomes more than a vehicle for information. Instead, it should foster communion and hope, build bridges, encourage encounter and open new paths through which the message of the Gospel can reach people’s hearts.

Participants in the SIGNIS World Congress and Assembly of Delegates 2026, including priests, women religious, lay faithful, journalists and communicators from different countries.

A Strong Identity Before Communicating

Asked what message he would offer to future communicators, the Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization returned to some of the reflections he had shared during the SIGNIS 2026 panel.

His first appeal, especially to young communicators, was a simple but fundamental one:

“Build your mind before you build your platform.”

He explained that interior preparation, human formation and spiritual maturity must come before the pursuit of influence in the digital sphere.

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He also encouraged communicators to ensure that every digital journey becomes a path of encounter rather than one of tribalism, polarization or division. In this context, he stressed the importance of integrating care for our common home into their narratives, recalling that “care for creation is an essential part of the stories they tell.”

In conclusion, Archbishop Nwachukwu reminded communicators that their mission is rooted in a profound identity: to be disciples before protagonists, bridge-builders rather than agents of division, and witnesses of the Gospel’s hope in a world that also needs to encounter God in today’s new digital spaces.