CEPACS NIGERIA: Bishops in Africa Applaud CEPACS For Promoting Communication Through Media, Calls for Increased Digital Footprints
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has commended the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS) for promoting authentic communication through the media in the past 50 years and asked the committee to open doors for increased media visibility across the continent.
In their goodwill message, Fridoline Cardinal Ambongo of the Metropolitan See of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighted that the committee of bishops that was founded in 1973 by SECAM aimed to animate, encourage, and coordinate the media activities of the Catholic Church in Africa in collaboration with regional and national offices and mandated to promote the use of modern means of mass communications as tools of evangelization in the continent.
“Over the last 50 years, you have played an essential role in amplifying the social teaching of the church on the continent, ensuring that the Gospel is heard on a global scale,” reads part of the message signed by the President and reads further, “Your commitment to promoting authentic and meaningful communication is a testament to your dedication to creating positive change.”
He stressed that the Commission’s goal and mission to stimulate, promote, and coordinate the pastoral activities of social communities within the church in Africa, helps “to reflect the Gospel values of love, compassion, solidarity and stewardship of God’s creation and draw people to Jesus Christ through the media.”
Besides, Cardinal Ambogo said on behalf of the Bishops of Africa, the significant milestone by CEPACS, “marks half a century of dedicated service and commitment to advancing social communications in Africa. Your tireless efforts in fostering communication, promoting the doctrine of the faith, and facilitating the exchange of ideas within the church-Family of God in Africa, have contributed immensely to the growth and development of our Christian communities.”
The CEPACS Golden Jubilee-themed ‘Towards Promoting a Synodal Church in Africa through Social Communications,’ reflects the ongoing conversations in the Church on the Synod on Synodality which promotes journeying together.
“Our prayer and goodwill as CEPACS promote a Synodal church in Africa for the past 50 years, is that the Holy Spirit will throw his divine light on everyone’s heart,” the Cardinals said in the statement shared with AMECEA Online Monday, November 20, and called upon all the faithful of the African continent to “to offer tremendous thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for CEPACS in the past and the present.”
As much as CEPACS has made strides in promoting communication through the use of various media platforms, the African Bishops call for increased media visibility in the continent for increased evangelization across the globe.
“Notwithstanding the progress made by the commission in the past 50 years, we acknowledge that there is still more room for improvement particularly in ensuring that all the regions within SECAM become more active and increase their digital footprints without losing sight of the church ethics on social communications,” reads the Monday message.
The Prelates further appreciated CEPACS and the Communications Secretariats of all the eight regions under SECAM and their Bishops and the entire Lay Faithful whose contributions and sacrifices have led to the continuous growth of the commission for the past 50 years of its existence.
The eight regional conferences of SECAM whose members are in CEPACS include The Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa (ACEAC), the Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa Region (ACERAC), Regional Episcopal Conferences of West Africa (RECOWA/CERAO), Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy of Egypt (AHCE), Regional Episcopal Conferences of North Africa (CERNA), Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA)m Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and Madagascar and Episcopal Conferences of Indian Ocean (CEDOI).
