AMECEA: Region Encouraged to Strengthen Relationship with Rome through Communication: Dr. Ruffini
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
An official from the Dicastery for Communication in the Vatican has called upon the region of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) to strengthen their relationship with Rome through increased communication.
Speaking to AMECEA Online during visit to the secretariat Saturday, October 29, the Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communications Dr. Paolo Ruffini appreciated the aspect of collaboration and building strong bonds as a Church.
“As a Catholic Church, the most important thing is to be in communion with each other. We encourage the AMECEA region to make stronger the relationships between all the AMECEA countries and Rome so that together we can build a system of communication that makes this connection stronger in terms of knowing one another, what we are doing and what we are facing,” Dr. Ruffini narrated.
He continued, “By translating some of the stories into various languages that others can understand in different parts of the world through Vatican media, we become more powerful in our synodal process and our being a Church.”
The Vatican official paid courtesy call at the AMECEA Secretariat together with Nataša Govekar, the director of the department of Pastoral Theology at the Vatican Secretariat for Communication after attending Catholic Sisters convening in Kenya’s capital Nairobi organized by Hilton Conrad Foundation.
Ms. Govekar is in charge of promoting world communication day, weaving the communion with different structures of the Church to have conferences. And also organizes bishop’s ad-limina visits.
Dr. Ruffini underscored that sharing of stories from the AMECEA region and the Vatican to people across the globe can be two fold, either “AMECEA translating the magisterium and what is in the Vatican website into various languages such as Kiswahili and English or the Vatican can translate messages which come from AMECEA region to other languages so the Catholics around the world can be aware of what is going on in various part of the world and take examples from the good stories.”
During the courtesy call, Dr. Ruffini and Ms. Govekar visited one of the Catholic Media stations “Radio Waumini” which has been on air since 2003 and aims to promote the Catholic Church around Kenya. The radio station with the vision of being a leading National Catholic Social communication tool for evangelization through radio broadcast is owned and operated by Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).
On his part the AMECEA Secretary General Fr. Anthony Makunde appreciated the visit of the Vatican officials and briefed them of the history of region and its mission which is to inspire and empower God’s family in AMECEA to a credible and prophetic witness to Christ, by promoting unity, justice, peace, and solidarity.
