Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Bishops in Africa under their continental body Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) have sent congratulatory message and good wishes to the Vatican Radio as it marks its 90th anniversary of service to the Church.
The Radio that was inaugurated by Pope Pius XI on February 12, 1931, with the intent of spreading the Gospel and carrying the voice of the Pope across the globe now broadcasts programs in 41 languages.
Writing on behalf of SECAM and the pastoral communications fraternity in Africa, Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo a member of SECAM standing committee and the President of Pan-African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS), said, “I rejoice with you and with the entire staff who have contributed to the work of the radio in all these years.”
“I am proud to say that of these 90 fruitful years, the Church in Africa has enjoyed first-hand services of this jewel of pastoral communication and evangelization for over 70 years,” the Bishop of Nigeria’s Oyo diocese expressed in a letter addressed to the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communications Dr. Paolo Ruffini.
In the letter dated Thursday, February 11, and shared a head of the anniversary day which coincides with the World Radio Day, Friday 12, Bishop Badejo has acknowledged that the Vatican Radio has not only disseminated the voice and acts of the Holy Father to millions of Africans during its 90 years of operation, but also “the voice and experience of the Church in Africa has also been disseminated to a world-wide audience.”
On behalf of the Prelates in Africa and Madagascar, Bishop Badejo has pledged continued collaboration with the Vatican Radio recounting the services they offer in “beaming to Africa the experience of the Church in other lands.”
“Indeed the collaboration of Radio Vatican with the Church in Africa contributes even today to energize the work of evangelization and we are grateful for this gift. We look forward to further collaboration with Radio Vatican and wish you a truly happy and fulfilling celebration,” the Bishop narrates.
As it marks its 90th anniversary, Vatican Radio will launch a 24-hour web radio which will make the radio broadcast over the internet in various languages including English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Armenian.
