CEPACS President Calls for “stronger collaboration” With Catholic Media Associations in Implementing Church Teachings

To address these challenges, the 2016-2025 President of CEPACS, an entity of SECAM, called for “stronger collaboration with the Catholic Media Professional Associations like SIGNIS Africa, to widen the scope of implementation of the Church teachings and policies in communication.”

Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo. Credit: ACI Africa

The Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Oyo Catholic Diocese further emphasized the strengthening of collaboration with the African Press Organization (APO Group) to improve policies, strategies, and implementation.

He acknowledged with appreciation that through the same group, “some professional volunteers have recently been engaged to support the communications office of SECAM pro bono from their various locations.”

Credit: ACI Africa

To address the challenges, Bishop Badejo also called for “urgent approval of the Statutes of CEPACS and implementation” and the “implementation of the outcome of the CEPACS Assembly of 2024.”

Establishing collaboration with other partner institutions to have exchange programs and to share knowledge on developments in the communications field is also part of the recommendations of the Nigerian Bishop to propel CEPACS forward.

Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo. Credit: ACI Africa

In the report, Bishop Badejo underlined the need to strengthen the current activities of the CEPACS Communications office in Accra and the ongoing communication support for the activities of SECAM in the synodal process.

In addition, the President of CEPACS, who also serves as a member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, since his appointment in December 2021, called for an “urgent action in training Church leaders and Media Personnel on the Digital Media and Artificial Intelligence to enhance informed pastoral practice and action at all levels.”

Credit: ACI Africa

To enhance collaboration, Bishop Badejo called for support for the planned catholic media activities including the August 10-17 Triennial Congress of the Catholic Union of the Press in Africa (UCAP) that will take place in Accra, Ghana under the theme, “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”.

He also called for support for the planned 2026 SIGNIS World Congress in Rwanda, the first-ever SIGNIS World Congress in Africa.

Credit: ACI Africa

He also highlighted CEPAC's ongoing projects, including the effort to ensure representation for the Portuguese language in SECAM activities and communication.

(Story continues below)

Bishop Badejo said among the projects is also the strengthening of the partnership with the APO Group and the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), with the latter already “compiling a resume of all broadcasting outfits in Africa and pledging to put its work at the disposal of SECAM for documentation and operational purposes.”

Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo. Credit: ACI Africa

In the report he presented at the July 30 to August 4 SECAM 20th Plenary Assembly taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, the Local Ordinary of Oyo Diocese, who started his Episcopal Ministry as Coadjutor Bishop of the same Episcopal See in October 2007, also highlighted the achievements of CEPACS for the past three years.

Through SIGNIS Africa, he said the Church participated in “creative arts festivals including the African Christian Movies/Music Award, Rivers International Film, Kano International Film Festival, and the Mashariki International Film Festival.”

Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo. Credit: ACI Africa

In June 2025, he said that SIGNIS Humanitarian Foundation, a new registered NGO of SIGNIS Africa, in collaboration with Regina Cultural Arts Initiative, held another conference and exhibition in Enugu, Nigeria, on the theme “Rethinking Iconography and Imagery in Global Religions”.

He also highlighted UCAP's Pan-African Refresher Program on integral ecology, held from 6th to 11th November 2023 in Kampala, Uganda, on the theme: “Contribution of Journalists and Media Practitioners Toward an Integral Ecology According to the Encyclical Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis.”

Credit: ACI Africa

Bishop Badejo also acknowledged the efforts of Loyola Communication and Media Centre (LCMC) in Nairobi, Kenya, in championing the training of digital missionaries and pastoral agents on Artificial Intelligence.

He acknowledged the emergence of online Catholic television in Africa, mostly sponsored by congregations and dioceses. In Tanzania alone, he said that eight (8) online television channels are very active.

Credit: ACI Africa

Bishop Badejo also acknowledged “the emergence of the Catholic digital missionaries, who are reaching out to the thousands of people with Christian messages via YouTube and WhatsApp.”

With these achievements among others, the outgoing CEPACS president said the “fact that Africans, especially Christians, still crave the Gospel and its values and still cherish the authentic voice of the Church in their lives is an indicator that the field in Africa is 'still fertile for the Sower.”