Vatican Official Lauds African Catholic Journalists for Environmental Awareness

The main objective of the seminar is to “build the capacity of media professionals and propose effective approaches to solving environmental problems that are an integral part of sustainable development on the African continent.”

The event is also aimed at bringing together Catholic media professionals and lay journalists from across Africa to receive refresher training on working with the Church to develop sustainable mechanisms that promote environmental restoration and “allow ecosystems to function naturally.”

In his November 6 message, Dr. Ruffini reflected on the theme guiding the seminar and said that it “emphasizes how important the role of communication is in raising awareness of the epochal challenge we face and the role that each of us has in overcoming it together.”

He made reference to Pope Francis’ encyclical Letter Laudato Si' and Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum which talk about environmental conservation and underlined the need for Catholic journalists to create awareness on environmental concerns.

 “If communicators and journalists could help to raise more awareness in this delicate matter, it would be a strong and appreciable contribution because ‘the universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible richness of God’” he said.

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The Vatican official also spoke about the importance of organizing events such as the ongoing seminar which he said “weaves the communion that unites us and rediscovers how important communication is in building a network of good.”

Reflecting further on excerpts from Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum on the Climate Crisis which was released on October 4, Dr. Ruffini said that the environmental crises highlighted therein can be addressed by concerted efforts.

“Only together, we can find adequate responses to the crisis we are facing, ‘while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point’” the head of the Dicastery for Communication said.

“May this seminar bear fruits for each of you, weave our communion, and increase more determination to push for major political decisions on the local, national, and international levels for the most effective possible solutions,” he said.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.