AMECEA: “Church Must Not Be Silent,” Communicators Challenged to Shape Society Through Gospel Values
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
At the Opening of a three-day workshop for Catholic Television (TV) directors across Africa and the National Communication Coordinators from the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) region on Tuesday, November 25, media professionals have been reminded of their role to shape society and ensure the “Church must not be silent” in the digital sphere.
Addressing 40 participants from about 20 countries, the Secretary General of AMECEA, Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde, in his welcoming remarks, stressed that if the Church remains passive in the media arena, “Others will shape the hearts and minds of our people.”
He emphasized that Catholic media are not intended to compete with secular outlets, but rather meant to serve as essential tools for peacebuilding, authentic evangelization, and forming consciences in truth and charity.
Referring to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications’ pastoral instruction Aetatis Novae, which notes that media shape the “moral and social attitudes of individuals and entire societies,” the Tanzanian cleric pointed to the urgent “signs of the times in Africa,” specifically mentioning the aggressive rise of secular content, moral confusion, and social tensions.
He warned that many of the faithful, especially the youth, consume secular content, and if compelling alternatives are not offered, the resulting “spiritual and cultural vacuum will be filled by narratives that weaken moral principles and distort truth.”
Fr. Makunde affirmed the AMECEA region’s long-standing commitment to communication, with the core mission rooted in the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi, which affirms that media are essential instruments for evangelization.
The objective of Catholic television and media, he clarified, is to go beyond mere information, education, or entertainment. “They must, as Pope Francis reminds the faithful, proclaim the truth ‘with the flavor of the Gospel,’ becoming channels of hope, peace, and moral guidance.”
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Catholic Television for Evangelization and Collaboration in Africa,” was aimed at bringing together media practitioners to reflect, strategize, and collaborate on utilizing television, radio, digital platforms, and print media to ensure Catholic media remains credible, professional, mission-driven, and deeply rooted in the Gospel.
Citing pastoral instruction on Communio et Progressio, that media should become “a means of unity and understanding among people,” Fr. Makunde stressed the significance of the unity of communicators on the continent.
