The Bishop of Quelimane diocese, a small sea port along the Indian Ocean coastline, is keen to establish a Radio Maria substation as an extension of RM Mozambique due to the lack of a C atholic Radio in the diocese to spread the good news of salvation in a language people understand. It is a mostly rural population, which has suffered a lot from Mozambique’s civil war, which left much division. Furthermore, recently there have been a number of very violent terrorist attacks from neighbouring Islamist groups, so the need is great to promote hope and un ification as well as teaching people with well trained staff and volunteers according to Catholic teaching. The aim is to provide support to families and those wanting to live a life of hope, love and solidarity. ACN wants to help the evangelization programmes offered in this area of first evangelization with a partial contribution to the establishment of the Radio Maria station in Quelimane, which needs to renovate a building for the studio and equipment as well as recruitment and training for broadcasting.
We received an update from our project partner Paolo Taffuri, Coordinator of Wor ld Family of Radio Maria for Africa He sent ACN the update of the role of Radio Maria in the present crisis in Africa. “As you requested, I’m writing something about the situation we’re in in Africa. I can tell you that the coronavirus situation is affecting us since some weeks also in Africa, more or less all the countries we (Radio Maria) are present in, with different levels of closures: in Tanzania and Lesotho for ex ample the Churches are open, but with a few precautions regarding attendance, in all the others, on the other hand, the Liturgical activities in the Churches are suspended, and therefore the faithful are invited by the Bishops to follow via radio, TV and s ocial media.
Since the radio is still the most used medium in Africa of communication this is where the majo rity of the Christians search refuge at this time. Radio Maria tries to be even more active and present, despite the impossibility for volunteers and staff to travel, in people’s spiritual daily lives. Many Bishops have celebrated part of the liturgy in th e chapel of Radio Maria, and others have been transmitted from the cathedrals. After the Easter celebrations now the routine involves a bit ‘everywhere daily masses broadcast by radio and accompanying programmes in the spiritual life. For many, the radio is the only way to stay in the spiritual life… in contact with the world and the Church.
In Africa, the pandemic will probably have a more economic relapse, more serious than elsewhere, there are a minority of people and families who can afford to stay at home for weeks. Most of them in f act, live on what they earn day by day. The consequence is that household income has decreased and so also of course donations to radios, but we at Radio Maria must continue to carry out our work with even more commitment than before. We trust in Providence. God helps us Thanks. Paolo »
Other Radio Maria stations currently supported in Africa Radio:
Maria stations in Africa produce radio programs that a re in line with its values and objectives of evangelization, with a focus on the pastoral, spiritual and human development of its audience. They tend to be active in programs related to agriculture, sanitation, nutrition, education, civil and human rights, health and family issues, all kind of subjects and topics that help improve life of people, while respecting and giving voice to the local culture and African traditions and languages. Their programmes thus aim to spread peace, love, brotherhood and all t hose values that make all peoples of the continent as one family in Christ through
Mary.
