ZAMBIA: Learn from Vatican Radio and Collaborate, says Bishop Hamungole to Local Catholic Radios
Andrew Kaufa smm
Commemorating 70 years of Vatican Radio English service for African, On July 17, several SIGNIS Africa organized a Webinar-based event whereby Catholic communicators on the continent discussed the role of Catholic radio under the theme ‘Storytelling as Tool to Manage Radial and Social Tribulation in Africa’.
Former director of Vatican Radio, Fr Lombardi, reminded the communicators of the mind of Pope Pius XII whose decision it was to introduce the service so as to give Africans an opportunity to share their stories. This was at the time when many countries in English speaking Africa were fighting for independence from colonial rule. Thus, he underscored what Popes Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis insist that social Communications should enhance sharing and exchange of news and experiences.
AMECEA Online had an interviewed with the ordinary of Monze Diocese, Zambia, Bishop Moses Hamungole, to find out his opinion about the role of Vatican Radio today in AMECEA region. Following the 1995 Synod of Africa and the FM radio technological advancement, dioceses and Conferences in AMECEA region have established over 40 Catholic radio stations which broadcast in local languages. Does AMECEA region still need Vatican Radio?
Bishop Hamungole who served as AMECEA Social Communications Coordinator from 2002 to 2008 and had the opportunity to offer his services at Radio Vatican’s English Service in 2014 shares his thoughts and recommendation.
Your Lordship, you attended commemoration of Vatican Radio’s 70th Anniversary of offering the English Service to Africa. What message do you have to the African Church regarding the work Vatican Radio today?
For me as someone who once served at the Vatican Radio in the English Service for Africa, this anniversary underscores a number of points. Firstly, the importance of the use of mass media for evangelization in Africa. In fact, it is interesting to note that already 70 years ago, the Church saw the need to use the modern means of social communication for evangelization purposes.
Secondly, the desire of the Church to reach out to as many people as possible through the radio. Today with the digital technological development more especially the social media, we even have more opportunities to reach out to Catholics and non-Catholics, even beyond Africa.
Thirdly, witnessing of our faith in different local languages. Consider that the Vatican Radio broadcasts in over 40 languages worldwide, including to the local Church in Africa.
In a nutshell, our local Catholic radios can learn from the Vatican Radio the practice of repeating or rebroadcasting of programs tailored for the whole world.
Can Catholic radios in the region support the work of Vatican Radio in any way?
Yes. I think the greatest support we can give the Vatican Radio is to bring the Holy Father’s messages to the local people. This can be done in a number of ways. For instance, by our local Catholic radio stations rebroadcasting some Vatican Radio programs; our Catholic journalists collaborating by sending local stories to Vatican Radio English Service for Africa; our local Catholic radios stations sending programs and recorded events. For instance, during the forthcoming AMECEA Plenary in 2022, there should be no need for the Vatican Radio to send its personnel to Tanzania when we already have Catholic radios there; networking by sharing the Vatican Radio news and programs in our different local languages; and finally, during this Covid-19 pandemic, our local radios can amplify the Holy Father’s messages and rebroadcast his Eucharistic celebrations.
Storytelling is Pope Francis message for World Communication Sunday of this year. What strategies should AMECEA put in place to ensure that the local church is sharing with the Universal Church her own story?
There are a number of strategies that come to my mind, including:
- Sending our local, original stories to the Vatican Radio, as opposed to simply recycling what is already in the media. If we can be doing that, the Vatican Radio will use them. Our radios must tell stories which are news and original, otherwise, why should the Vatican Radio repeat what is already in the media?
- Investing in radio equipment and personnel. Apart from investing buildings, our Catholic radio stations ought to ensure quality of content and sound so as to attract listeners.
- Our Catholic media houses employing professionals so that our content is of standard. Look at Vatican Radio: it has highly qualified people, some even trained in-house so that they improve their skills. This is important because quality of messaging enhances the preaching of the priest.
- Our seminaries offer courses on communication. Let the seminarians develop communication skills right from the time of their priestly formation.
During the Webinar, various speakers from the Church in Africa shared their experiences which highlighted the role of the Catholic radio today. For instance, Mrs. Shira Pirez in South Africa spoke about the role of Catholic radio in addressing racism in the context Black Lives Matter movement; Sister Mary Claude Oguh in Nigeria spoke about the radio as a companion of a Catholic nun in the context of religious persecution. What are your thoughts about the role of Catholic radio in AMECEA region?
AMECEA has more Catholic radios than any other region in Africa. Let us use them to share our own stories but also to evangelize. I am proud of those bishops who, having a diocesan radio station, they have their own programs. Through the radio, these bishops reach out to many Christians, even those in the diaspora.
I believe that the Church in AMECEA region can learn a lot from the Vatican Radio. Why not send the personnel of radio stations to the Vatican Radio for internships for a month or more so that they can learn how to do religious programs apart from broadcasting Mass or playing Church music?
From Vatican Radio, our Catholic radios can also learn how to promote ecumenism, for instance, engaging the Muslims on our Catholic radios.
Our radios can also learn how to addressing social issues such as injustices, tribalism and gender-based violence.
From the Vatican Radio we can lern how to do radio-based campaigns; how to promote the African values through radio-based dialogue and how to bridge the gap between the younger and older generation.
Finally, I would like to see more collaboration with SIGNIS and UCAP in AMECEA region, more especially in streaming of Catholic radio programs.
