ACI Africa’s 5th Anniversary: Keynote Speaker Invites EWTN to Support First-ever SIGNIS World Congress in Africa

The Kigali event, the President of the Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS), the committee that represents SECAM in the communication apostolate of the Church in Africa, said, “will bring top media professionals from all over the world to experience Africa in her pastoral diversity and richness.”

“I call on EWTN, our longstanding partner, ACI Africa, and the APO Group to collaborate with SIGNIS Africa in hosting this historic World Congress,” he said during the anniversary celebration at JJ McCarthy Centre of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi (ASN).

Referring to his proposed collaboration, Bishop Badejo added, “What a powerful, wonderful asset such a Catholic media platform would be for pastoral communication in this era of Synodality.”

He went on to underscore the important role of Catholic media in the era of digitality, and the need to engage young people, “listening to and working with” them.

The digital culture, the member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication since his appointment in December 2021 said, has “transformed perceptions of time, space, and interpersonal relationships.”

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“This digital environment is a new frontier for the Church and can be better understood only by listening to and working with the young people, the Gen Z, who have the profound experience of growing and living in it,” he said. 

Referring to the Vatican document, “Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Digital Media,” which the Dicastery for Communication published in May 2023, he highlighted the need to communicate truth as essential, and emphasized the need for ethical considerations in social media engagement.

“To communicate truth, we must first ensure that we are conveying truthful information; not only in creating content but also in sharing it,” Bishop Badejo said.

Passing on truthful information in line with ethical considerations and sharing “content that foster genuine communication” are important principles and perspectives in the digital era, the delegate of SECAM at the anniversary celebration said. 

“These valuable perspectives must color the work of ACI Africa in providing and circulating authentic content for engagement with the digital media too,” he said, and added, “ACI Africa can thus help the faithful, especially the youths to become community-building content co-creators, less concerned with personal agenda and interest on the Digital space as proposed by the dicastery.”

Bishop Badejo continued, “It is necessary for a Catholic media like ACI Africa to be more daring about proposing ethical considerations on the Digital Media and generating content to draw attention to the issue.”

“We must avoid individualistic and exploitative tendencies encouraged by virtual platforms,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said, adding, “Instead, the Church should promote human interaction, collaboration, and resource sharing for the mission.”

He expressed his awareness of the digital limitations of a section of Church leaders, saying, “Many Church leaders still need support and training to effectively engage in this digital space.”

Bishop Badejo also acknowledged with appreciation what ACI Africa has been able to accomplish in the last five years. 

“Nobody can ignore the impact and growth of ACI Africa in such a short time,” he said, and added, “Your professional touch and the aesthetic outlook of your platform are commendable. However, there is always room for improvement. Keep going, and may God guide you in overcoming challenges with faith and perseverance.” 

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“Strive for excellence in your communication ministries, integrating God’s love and passion into your work,” he further said, adding, “As we move forward, “let us strive to be ‘mystic but contemporary communicators,’ ensuring our work reflects God’s love and the mission entrusted to us as digital missionaries. Keep your heads in heaven but your feet firmly planted on the ground.”

ACI Africa was officially launched on 17 August 2019 to provide free and timely news reports on happenings in Africa from a Catholic perspective. 

Since then, ACI Africa has given media visibility to plans and actions of Catholic Church leaders, individually and collectively in their respective Diocesan, national, regional, continental, and Congregational forums. 

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.