The Catholic association for communication, SIGNIS, has renewed its leadership at both the African and global levels during the ongoing SIGNIS World Congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
The congress, taking place from 3 to 8 August 2026, has brought together more than 200 Catholic journalists, media professionals and communication experts from over 40 countries across five continents. It is the first SIGNIS World Congress to be hosted in Africa.
At the African level, Rev. Fr. Fidele Mutabazi, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kigali, Rwanda, was elected the new President of SIGNIS Africa, succeeding Nigerian priest and academic Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika, who completed his two constitutional terms.
Rev. Fr. Fidele Mutabaz the new President of SIGNIS Africa
The new SIGNIS Africa leadership also includes Virginia Kabugu of Kenya as Vice President and Fr. Alexis Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso as Secretary/Treasurer. Other board members are Sr. Anastãncia Sebastãio Simbe FMA of Mozambique, Clarice Azuatalam of Nigeria, Kudakwashe Martin Matambo of Zimbabwe, and Mwami Daka of Zambia.
Virginia Kabugu the Vice President
The new African board marks a historic milestone for SIGNIS, with women making up the majority of the board for the first time since the association’s establishment in 2001.
Speaking after his election, Fr. Mutabazi thanked the delegates for their confidence and called for continued support. He described the new leadership as unprecedented and representative of Africa’s geographical diversity and its three major working languages—English, French and Portuguese.
At the global level, Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika of Nigeria was elected President of SIGNIS World, the global Catholic association for communication.
Fr. Ihejirika, who previously served as President of SIGNIS Africa, now takes on the responsibility of leading the organization worldwide. His election is being seen as a significant achievement for both Nigeria and Africa, reflecting the growing contribution of African Catholic communicators to the global Church.
The new SIGNIS World leadership includes Pamela Aleman of SIGNIS USA–Canada and Magimai Pragasam of India as Vice Presidents, while Adriana Racasan of SIGNIS Europe was elected Treasurer.
The new international leadership is therefore:
President: Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika — Nigeria
Vice President: Pamela Aleman — SIGNIS USA–Canada
Vice President: Magimai Pragasam — India
Treasurer: Adriana Racasan — SIGNIS Europe
The leadership changes come as SIGNIS continues to strengthen its mission of promoting ethical, professional and faith-based communication through radio, television, film, journalism, digital media and other communication platforms.
Founded in 2001 through the merger of two Catholic media organizations, OCIC and Unda, SIGNIS brings together Catholic communicators from across the world in support of dialogue, human dignity and the proclamation of the Gospel.
The new African and global leadership teams are expected to build on this mission and strengthen collaboration among Catholic media professionals worldwide.
JUBA, South Sudan, July 17, 2026 – The Catholic Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Juba have called for peace, national dialogue and urgent action to address South Sudan’s worsening economic and security situation following their annual meeting held in Juba from 15–17 July 2026.
In a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the meeting, the bishops expressed solidarity with South Sudanese facing severe economic hardship caused by the continued depreciation of the South Sudanese pound, soaring prices of goods and services, and delays in the payment of government salaries.
The bishops also voiced deep concern over the persistent violence affecting communities across the country, repeated clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and armed opposition groups, and what they described as the violent encroachment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces along South Sudan’s southern border.
While thanking God that no Ebola cases have been reported in the country, the bishops urged continued vigilance against the disease. They also expressed sympathy for farmers whose crops were damaged by drought and heat waves, appealing to the international community and humanitarian partners to assist communities facing growing food insecurity.
Addressing the country’s political future, the bishops noted the National Elections Commission’s announcement that general elections are scheduled for 22 December 2026, a date that coincides with the Christmas season. They warned of a potential constitutional and transitional crisis, whether the elections proceed or not, and called on political leaders to fully implement the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement in good faith.
The bishops urged that all decisions regarding the electoral process be guided by dialogue, constitutional order, legal clarity, adequate preparation and the common good, emphasizing that the elections should strengthen national unity rather than deepen divisions.
They also appealed to all South Sudanese to reject violence, tribalism, hatred, misinformation and incitement, encouraging citizens to embrace fraternity, respect and solidarity.
Reaffirming the Church’s commitment to promoting peace, justice and reconciliation, the bishops announced that they will soon release a comprehensive pastoral message offering deeper guidance on the national elections and the state of affairs in South Sudan in light of the Gospel and the Church’s social teachings.
The communiqué concluded with a call for prayers across the country, asking God to grant wisdom to national leaders, courage to citizens, healing to communities and lasting peace for South Sudan through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace.
The communiqué was issued in Juba on 17 July 2026 at the conclusion of the bishops’ annual meeting.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Juba celebrated the Solemnity of Ascension of the Lord and the 60th World day of Social Communications under the theme: Preserving Human Faces and Voices. The mass was officiated by His Lordship Santo Loku Pio, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Juba; He encourage people to Hear what the angles said as Christ left, that they should not look up; Christ will return just as they had witnessed him going; nevertheless, the mission given to the Apostles is to go out and preach, baptize all who believed in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. this He said is the work given to us; all of us are commissioned.
below is the full text of his homily:
The solemnity of the Ascension signifies the start of the church’s journey. The Church as a moving instrument towards the intended destination to where the father is. With the resurrection, the Church started its long journey to where it belongs and always in the company of the master. That is why it is always said, The Church is Divine, for Christ is its master; and Human for it is entrusted to his Apostles and disciples, to us.
According to St. Augustine, the church recognizes two kinds of life as having been commended to her by God. One is a life of faith, the other a life of vision; one is a life passed on pilgrimage in time, the other in a dwelling place in eternity; one is a life of toil, the other of repose; one is spent on the road and the other in our homeland; one is active, involving labour, the other contemplative, the reward of labour. All of the first life is lived in this world, and it ends here with this imperfect world, while the second life have no end and that was why Christ said to Peter, Follow me.
The Gospel of Mathew (Mt 28:16-20) and the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1-11), recounts how Jesus entered the glory of his eternal Father. This feast of the Ascension invites us to look to the earth, to people among whom, we are and called to make present the works of the master. As such, the church of the resurrection is the church that is not to look up, but fully focused on the path and mission to new life as true witnesses. We are given a chance to practice the very charity Christ himself taught us by the help of the Holy Spirit, the teacher and guide.
The 2nd reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesian (Eph. 1:17-23), completes the message that even though we must keep our eyes on earth, we know that human life is not enclosed by it nor does it end within the narrow confines of this world. With Jesus giving the farewell discourse to his disciples as time has come for him to ascend into the new life, after experiencing our own, which landed him on the cross.
The disciples must start moving on with the steps of the new life that he taught them, so that, they too will overcome the cross. In this new journey, the disciples are to receive the Holy Spirit, which will make them more of disciples not only in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria but to the ends of the earth.
Remember, he told Peter, feed my lambs, sheep; love one another as I loved you. Care for one another, wash the feed of one another, take charge of your calling(vocation) and all that I taught you and you will follow me where ever I go. So, our life is not limited here on earth, we are on move to our Lord’s throne the same way he went. And he said, I will be with you, yes to the end of ages.
As we embrace this mission of being witnesses to the ends of the earth, we must now be able to show the world that Christ is alive in me and so in us. We are called to holiness of life, and so invite others to the holiness as well, ready to preach Christ amidst suffering and death, knowing that the down of the resurrection is awaiting all of us.
The Holy Spirit will help us to reach to the very end of our mission as witnesses to truth, justice, peace, love and care to our fellow humans and to the creation, always producing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. +++
Today will also celebrate, together with the universal people of God the world’s communication day under the theme: “preserving Human Voices and faces”. The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV said, in his message for the 60th world day of social communication and I quote; “Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person; they reveal a person’s own unrepeatable identity and are defining elements of every encounter with others; faces are Sacred. God who created us in his image and likeness, gave them to us when he called us to life through the word he addressed to us. This word resounded down the centuries through the voices of the prophets, and then became flesh in the fullness of time. We too have heart and seen this word (cf. I Jn. 1:1-3), in which God communicates his very self to us, because it has been made known to us in the voice and face of Jesus Christ the son of God.
Hence; preserving human faces and voices, therefore, means preserving this mark, this indelible reflection of God’s love. The work of communicators, journalists is a work that builds: it builds society, it builds the Church, it makes everyone go forward, provided that it is true. Nevertheless, we need to ask ourselves, are you true? Not only in the things you say, but you inwardly, in your life, you true?” it is a challenge. To communicate what God does with the Son, and the communication of God with the Son and the holy Spirit it must be true. To communicate something divine and of divine nature, the human face and voices. What are you saying about what you see and hear, in you and around you? Are you true?
This celebration of the world communication; is being celebrated at different moment and levels in the history of humanity, with the world still wounded by wars and violence, by shedding of so much innocent blood including our own country. Recently in Lo’bonok, Lirya, Mundri East etc. For the last 13 good years, unnecessary killing of our innocent people has been taking place all-over our country. Most of whom are Women, children’s innocent villagers who don’t know even why they are killed and why they are forced out of their villages to die of hunger elsewhere in the PoCs or the refugee camps and in the bushes. How long should these continue? And why?
Therefore, I would first like to say thank you to all the communication workers who risks their own lives to seek out the truth and to report the horrors of wars and unjust treatment of the human faces. “I wish to remember in prayer all those who have sacrificed their lives in this last year, one of the most lethal for journalists. Let us pray in silence for your colleagues who have signed their service with their own blood”.
I would also want to remember, together with you, all those who are imprisoned merely for having been faithful to the profession of journalist, photographer, video operator, for wanting to see with their own eyes and for trying to report what they have seen. There e many of them; I asked those who have the power to do so, to free all unjustly imprisoned journalists. May a door be open for them too, through which they may return to freedom, because the freedom of journalists increases the freedom of us all. Their freedom is freedom for all of us.
Many do say, that the freedom of the press and freedom of thought be defended and safeguarded along with the fundamental rights to be informed. Free, responsible and correct knowledge is a legacy of knowledge, experience and virtue that must be preserved and promoted. Without this, we risk no longer distinguishing truth from lies; without this. We expose ourselves to growing prejudices and polarizations that destroy the bonds of civil coexistence and prevent fraternity from being rebuilt.
Journalism is more than a profession; it is a vocation and a mission. The role played by Angel Gabriel the heavenly journalist in the holy Scripture. Communicators have the fundamental role for our society today, in reporting facts and in the way in which you report them. We know the language, attitude and tones can be decisive and make the difference between communication that rekindles hope, build bridges and open doors and communications that instead increases division, polarizations and simplifications of reality.
Communication is a peculiar responsibility; it is a precious task. Communications’ tools of trade words and images. But before these are study and reflection, the capacity to see and listencarefully; to place yourselves in the position of those who are marginalized, of those who are neither seen nor heard, and also revive, in the hearts of those who read, listen and look at you, the meaning of good and evil and a nostalgia for the good that you report and by reporting it, bear witness to; and this need courage.
You need to have, and speak of the importance of courage to initiate the change that history demands of us, the change necessary to overcome lies and hatred killing our nations and people. It is true, it takes courage to initiate change which means to have heart; it is that inner drive, that strength that comes from the heart that enables us to face difficulties and challenges without being overwhelmed by fear.
If we fail in this task of preservation, the digital technology threatens to alter radically some of the fundamental pillars of human civilization that at times are taken for granted. Freedom is the courage to choose. Let us take the opportunity today to renew, to rediscover this courage. The courage to free the heart from what corrupts it. Let’s place respect for the highest and most noble part of our humanity at the Centre of the heart, let us avoid filling it with what decays and makes it decay.
We need media literacy, to be educated on the components of information sharing, with well trained and honest information engineers; full of courage, to bring about the communion of enlightened hearts that can feel the face and the voices of others, without turning blind eye to critical issues, complexities and risks.
The Pope concluded by saying; though the digital technology can assist us, let us not renounce our ability to think. Kindly, some journalists end up relaying on the (Al) Artificial intelligence and technology for judgement, that is not enough; Al must be guided by human intelligence not the other way round. Do your works with dedication.
Let us congratulate all our media practitioners, congratulations our journalists, wherever you might be, and may the Lord bless you all.
+In the name of the father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit. Amen. +
