AMECEA encouraged to strengthen relationship with Dicastery for Communication

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA – Nairobi, Kenya.

Speaking to AMECEA Online during his visit to the AMECEA secretariat Saturday, 29 October, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications, Dr Paolo Ruffini encouraged the aspect of collaboration and the building of strong bonds.

A synodal approach to being Church

“As a Catholic Church, the most important thing is to be in communion with each other. We encourage the AMECEA region to make stronger the relationships between all the AMECEA countries and Rome so that together we can build a system of communication that makes this connection stronger in terms of knowing one another, what we are doing and what we are facing,” Dr Ruffini said.

He continued, “By translating some of the stories into various languages that others can understand in different parts of the world through Vatican media, we become more powerful in our synodal process and our being a Church.”

The Prefect of the Holy See paid a courtesy call at the AMECEA Secretariat together with Dr Nataša Govekar, Director of the theological-pastoral department of the Secretariat for Communication of the Holy See. Both were in Kenya to attend a Catholic religious sisters meeting in Nairobi organised by Conrad Hilton Foundation.

Sharing stories of faith

Dr Ruffini underscored that sharing of stories from the AMECEA region and the Vatican to people across the globe can be two-fold, either “AMECEA translating the magisterium and what is in the Vatican website into various languages such as KiSwahili and English or the Vatican can translate messages which come from AMECEA region to other languages so the Catholics around the world can be aware of what is going on in various part of the world and take the examples from the good stories,” he highlighted.

AMECEA: Church as family of God

On his part the AMECEA Secretary General Fr. Anthony Makunde appreciated the visit of the Vatican officials and briefed them of the history of the region and its mission which is to inspire and empower God’s family in AMECEA to a credible and prophetic witness to Christ, by promoting unity, justice, peace, and solidarity.

Dr Ruffini and Dr Govekar also visited Radio Waumini which is owned and operated by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB).