AMECEA: “You Have a Special Mission in the Continental Synodal Journey,” AMECEA Secretary General to Journalists
AMECEA Secretary General Rev. Fr Anthony Makunde
Elizabeth Asasha.
Secretary General of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) has exhorted Catholic media practitioners to play their part fervently in communicating about the Synod on Synodality, a journey of discernment rooted in the Holy Spirit.
Speaking during the conclusion of a five-day annual meeting for AMECEA Online Correspondents held from November 21–25, 2022, in Entebbe, Uganda, Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde acknowledged the role of Catholic journalists as the torchbearers of the church.
“I would like to convey our appreciation on behalf of the AMECEA team and the Bishop Chairman of AMECEA, Rt. Rev. Charles Kasonde, who sends his gratitude to you and all of your colleagues in your respective member conferences, for the work you are doing in the Social Communication docket,” said Fr. Makunde.
Fr. Makunde validated the corporeal writers’ annual training, saying it provided a great opportunity for journalists to network and share experiences with experts in the media industry to further hone their writing skills as part of what he terms as “ongoing capacity building for those who collaborate with the Association.”
In an exclusive interview with AMECEA Online Journalists following the conclusion of the training, the Secretary General commented on the inactive conferences brought on by a lack of or absence of correspondents while urging leaders in the eight episcopal conferences of the AMECEA region to welcome any Catholic media experts willing to write for the platform.
“It is true that most often we don’t get coverage from all our member conferences and it is high time we widen the scope to include even those who are not specifically assigned to our respective offices but are catholic journalists and are willing to give us a hand.” Said Fr. Makunde who has been serving in the AMECEA Secretariat for four years.
He attributed the challenge of limited coverage to inadequate tools of the trade for the few available correspondents, saying, “It has become a challenge because we do not have sufficient tools and sometimes we have a problem of resources so we are not able to reach every diocese to capture the events that are going on but by involving journalists who are capable and willing it will help to breach the gap that we are experiencing,”
AMECEA Secretary General further advised communicators to leverage Catholic media outlets to connect with and disseminate information to more people in remote locations.
“In the AMECEA region we are privileged, we have almost sixty radio stations; it is a huge potential that if we capitalize on we can achieve a lot,” he said, adding that there are six active catholic television stations coupled with a series of online catholic news platforms such as AMECEA Online News which can go a long way in evangelization through broadcasting and expanding the reportage to a wider geographical area.
According to Fr. Makunde, bringing catholic journalists together and creating a hub of information that can be transcribed and translated into multiple languages will help puzzle out a series of communication hiccups in the church.
The priest also discussed the developments in the Synod and Synodality, dropping hints about upcoming continental conferences to discuss the message in the Universal Document, disclosing that prelates in the AMECEA region had already combined the national-level syntheses into a single document detailing issues raised in the region, which would be used as a reference for conventions at the continental level.
He encouraged scribes to read, absorb, and reflect on the 54-page English translation of the Universal Document to familiarize themselves with its principles as part of the discernment process that the Holy Father Pope Francis has called us to engage in.
“We are inviting the Catholics all over the region and throughout the world to read that document, ” he appealed, “it is written in a very simple language, does not have theological jargon and several quotations from our region have been featured in the document.”
He continued by saying that the document “is a spiritual, pastoral, and it is a life type of experience,” reminding catholic newscasters to make sure it is accessible to everyone and to have it translated into local languages so that members of the Small Christian Communities can easily understand the message.
“Communicators have a mission and a special role in the Synodal Journey, pay your part,” the Very Rev. Fr. Makunde concluded in a stirring parting shot, challenging catholic media practitioners to tighten their belts and take the lead in setting the pace for disseminating credible and reliable information about the position of the church.
The annual mentorship program for the Online Correspondents spanning across the AMECEA region was for the first time held physically after stalling for two years due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
