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As South Africa marked World Press Freedom Day Wednesday, the country’s communications minister, Faith Muthambi assured South Africans that media freedom in South Africa is not declining. She expressed her government’s commitment to guranteeing a free press and the safety of journalists.

“As we mark International Press Freedom Day, we want to proudly inform the world that in our country, we are enjoying a complete free press, where journalists report without fear or favour. There is no journalist who is in jail for doing his or her work and as government, we want to reiterate that we will continue to defend and promote media freedom,” she said.

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference.

Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Muthambi said pre-1994 the broadcasting system was characterised by inequality of access, language, cultural and educational programming and lack of diversity and choice in services and programmes.

“Media freedom is my right…media freedom is your right…media freedom is for all of us. Therefore, all of us have a responsibility to defend media freedom and editorial independence from any form of compulsion, be it political, economic or commercial.” However, she said the media should understand that freedom of expression means that there should be objective reporting and analysis which is not coloured by prejudice and self-interest.

“The media should also understand that freedom of expression means that we should all try to ensure diversity: diversity of content, diversity of sources of information, diversity of ownership and diversity of outlook and responses in our advertising industry,” she said. Minister Muthambi said the best journalists recognise their role as servants of the people, singling out sloppy or inaccurate reporting as one of the challenges facing the media industry in the country.

“As government, we don’t expect the media to accept information at a face value; our view is that journalists should always strive to write accurate and well-balanced stories. In a democratic environment like ours, where we are not yet a cohesive nation, we don’t expect the media to write stories that seek to promote hatred amongst citizens…but we need stories that are like glue that defines and unites South Africans,” she said.

Last week, South Africa announced that the communications ministry had licensed 140 community radio stations in the country. Most these, the ministry said, were already operational.

(Source: SAnews )

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Wednesday afternoon on the outskirts of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa joined the Congolese people in saying farewell to one of her beloved musicians, the legendary King of Congolese Rumba, Papa Wemba.

The Archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo led the country in mourning Papa Wemba during a funeral Mass. According to Congolese media, the Cardinal hailed Papa Wemba as a brave musician and a very religious person.

“For three days, as one nation, the Congolese population, Africa, and the world have mourned the father of Congolese Rumba," Cardinal Monsengwo is reported to have said in French.  The Bishop of Tshumbe Diocese and President of the Episcopal Conférence Nationale du Congo, Nicolas Djomo Lola described Papa Wemba as “a worthy son of Congo and citizen of the world.”

Reports from media in Congo say family members, six Bishops over Catholic fifty priests, senior government officials and diplomats converged at the Notre Dame Cathedral of Kinshasa to pay their last respects to a national icon. Many citizens tearfully followed the ceremony on the streets or in their homes.

Other media reports from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, said thousands upon thousands of Congolese citizens lined the route that transported Papa Wemba’s last remains for burial at the Necropole Entre Terre et Ciel cemetery, outside Kinshasa.

Papa Wemba, 66, was born Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in June 1949 in Lubefu, then Belgian Congo. He collapsed and died on stage in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on 24 April. He died doing what he loved the most: Performing on stage.

Earlier in the week, at a ceremony held in the national parliament, where the body of Papa Wemba lay in state for three days, the Congolese government led by President Joseph Kabila, posthumously awarded Papa Wemba with one of the country’s highest honours. He was commended for the ‘merits and eminent services rendered to the Congolese nation.’

The Holy See, through its spokesperson, Father Federico Lombardi has also paid glowing tribute to Papa Wemba, a Catholic, for rendering his voice to promote the message of reconciliation through his songs composed for the Church. With Angola’s folk and Semba music singer, Bonga; the group Fifito from Guinea led by Vatican Radio employee Filomeno Lopes, Papa Wemba recorded a CD compilation album titled, 'Afrika tenda amani' which in KiSwahili encourages Africans to act for peace.

Father Lombardi, the former Director General of Vatican Radio who worked with Papa Wemba on the music projects said he was shocked and saddened by the musician’s death. Fr. Lombardi made the remarks in an interview with Vatican Radio’s Fr. Jean-Pierre Bodjoko, who is head of the French Africa Service.

Fr. Lombardi said he had known and met Papa Wemba in the context of the Second African Synod of Bishops (2009), which focused on Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation. As Director General of Vatican Radio and working together with Vatican Radio’s Africa departments, Papa Wemba helped promote the messages of the Second African Synod through the production and broadcast of African music.

"We thought that to effectively get the message of the Bishops gathered in the African Synod to the African people, it was not enough to write beautiful documents, with long discussions and explanations of the doctrine of Church. We found it necessary to use another effective way to get to the heart of the people of Africa with the primary message of Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation. And so we found that such a message could pass through music, through songs, which is an important dimension of many of Africa’s cultures. It is within this framework that we called some African artistes, especially Papa Wemba, to help us,” said Fr. Lombardi.

According to Fr. Lombardi, Papa Wemba was always available and ready to work with the iniatives proposed by Vatican Radio.

 “We asked Papa Wemba, and other musicians to produce a compilation CD, an album with songs they would compose just to get the message of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation. They were original songs inspired by the trilogy of ‘Justice, Peace and Reconciliation.’  Afterwards, we produced many copies of this CD and sent it to all the Catholic dioceses in Africa after the Synod meeting had ended.” Then, continues Fr. Lombardi, “We finally organised in Cotonou, Bénin, a concert, on an open stage (18 November 2011 at René Pleven d'Akpakpa Stadium in Cotonou, Bénin). The show was held on the day of the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Bénin during which visit the Pope would officially promulgate the post-synodal exhortation document (known as Africae Munus) at a special Mass,” Fr. Lombardi said.

Papa Wemba, says Fr. Lombardi, “was very helpful, very friendly. I have excellent memories of my meetings with him; his availability. He was very happy to contribute to a project that would benefit the people. "

The Holy See's spokesman also recalled the time when opportunity was given to Papa Wemba and his wife, Mama-Marie Lozolo Amazone, to meet personally with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican.

"It was a beautiful day; it was wonderful. He was very happy and he did not fail to express gratitude. But it was also for us a way to express our appreciation for what he had done for us, with us and for the Church," said Father Lombardi adding that he remained grateful to Papa Wemba and had kept good memories of him  and friendship with him.” He adds, "And of course the news of his death touches us deeply. But we are happy to have made with him significant initiatives for Africa because the songs he performed for Vatican Radio and thus for the Church bear a message that will last continuously. Singing for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation is to sing for a better world; a reconciled world in which Africa is invited to live joyfully. In fact, not only Africa but the whole world, " emphasised Father Lombardi.

(Fr. Paul Samasumo, Vatican Radio)

Email: engafrica@vatiradio.va

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Aden, Yemen, May 4, 2016 / 10:18 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Two months after being kidnapped in Yemen, Salesian priest Tom Uzhunnalil remains missing, although a bishop involved in his case remains hopeful about his timely release.

“The last words, which are quite reassuring, I received indirectly about ten days ago. I was told that Father Tom is alive, and that his return to freedom could be imminent,” said Bishop Paul Hinder OFM Cap, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

“But since then nothing has happened. We hope and pray for him,” the bishop told Fides New Agency.

Fr. Uzhunnalil, an Indian national, was abducted in April, when four gunmen attacked a Missionaries of Charity-run retirement home in Aden, Yemen, killing 16 people, including four Missionary of Charity sisters. The attacks are thought to have been perpetrated by Islamist terrorists, though no group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have a presence in the area.

Rumors began spreading during Holy Week that Fr. Tom was to be crucified on Good Friday, although those reports were later retracted. Fr. Uzhunnalil’s Salesian community and the bishop of the local Church dismissed the rumors as false information, warning that spreading such rumors was irresponsible and could be harmful.

Indian security officials are involved in negotiations for his release. The specifics of the ongoing investigation and negotiations have not be revealed so as to protect the life of Fr. Tom.

 

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IMAGE: CNS/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A new Vatican magazine will give attention to women's voices, something that often has been missing in the church despite women's important role in announcing the Gospel, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"If we do not listen attentively to the voice of women in the great decisive moments in the life of the church, we would lose" the crucial contribution of the feminine genius in the church, Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said at an event May 3 launching the magazine format.

"Women-Church-World," which began as a monthly insert in the Vatican newspaper, will now feature two new sections: one "focusing on art with women's sensitivity and power of expression," and the other on the Bible, according to L'Osservatore Romano's website.

"The renovation comes in response to many women's need to share, reflect and make their voices heard," the newspaper said.

The new format and new sections were introduced to the press by Cardinal Parolin; Lucetta Scaraffia, the magazine's coordinator; Elisa Zamboni, a columnist from the Italian ecumenical Community of Bose; and Giovanni Maria Vian, editor-in-chief of the Vatican newspaper.

Cardinal Parolin said the new magazine serves not only to make the presence of women in the church known, but to "pave the way to a new and positive habit" of listening to women.

"Women-Church-World," he added, hopes to "implement the male and female synergy that so often has been invoked in official documents but not always put into practice."

"Today, therefore, it is necessary to explore together -- men and women, lay and consecrated -- the interpretation of sacred texts and draw ideas to reshape and expand the role and service -- not the servitude -- of women in the church," the cardinal said.

The front cover of the magazine's May issue features an icon of the Visitation, an image that Scaraffia said defines the publication's mission.

Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, Scaraffia wrote in the magazine's first editorial, is not just a moment of solidarity between women but a manifestation that both are "able to see the true and profound meaning of the events they are going through, to discern the divine even when it is still hidden."

"The Visitation therefore is the icon of our project: women who bring to light, to the knowledge of the world, what other women have to say or have said and written in the past; what they do or have done," Scaraffia said.

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ST. PAUL, Alberta (CNS) -- As firefighters fought to save Fort McMurray from a wildfire that threatened to destroy the northern Alberta city, a bishop gave thanks that there had been no loss of life.

St. Paul Bishop Paul Terrio, whose diocese includes Fort McMurray, also said in a May 4 statement that the city's St. Paul Church is rumored to have been destroyed in the blaze that forced the evacuation of the city's entire population the previous day. There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries.

Bishop Terrio said that with the community still in shock from the damage in Fort McMurray, "Let us give thanks to our Lord and God that, with some 60,000-70,000 people evacuated from the community in a matter of hours, there has been no loss of life."

"Really, this in itself constitutes a major achievement," the bishop said. "I want to thank and commend all the security and firefighting services, the public authorities but especially the good people of Fort McMurray. Once again, the people of Fort McMurray have rallied together and reached out to help and protect each other."

The entire neighborhood of Beacon Hill appeared to be lost, according to local officials, while the fire had spread to other neighborhoods. Officials said they feared the fire could worsen.

Bishop Terrio said that as the full extent of loss and damage becomes to be known, the whole community would be called upon to help rebuild and resettle the city. The diocese planned a second collection at all Masses May 7-8 as a first step for the relief effort and to support all those who lost their homes.

"This fire disaster is a hard blow at a time when Fort McMurray is already struggling under an adverse economic situation," wrote Bishop Terrio, noting the economic slowdown with the worldwide drop in oil prices that has severely affected the local economy in the heart of Canada's oil country.

"But with our faith, our hope and our love for each other, we shall, as a young local evacuee said on Facebook last night, build a 'better Fort McMurray,'" he said.

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