SIGNIS World Congress closes, highlighting values of solidarity, concern and friendship

Rome, March 1, 2014: The SIGNIS World Congress 2014 concluded Thursday night with a Mass and a closing ceremony, highlighting values that must orient the work of Catholic communicators. More than developing and using media, the 300 participants of the event were invited to distinguish their action by values such as solidarity, concern and friendship.

During his homily, taking the Pope Francis’ message for the 48th World Communications Day as reference, Mons. Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said that probably “the most important challenge faced by Catholic communicators is to get closer to men and women of our time, as the Good Samaritan did”. He recalled the words of the Holy Father to emphasize that “communicating means already getting closer to those who are different from ourselves” and that it must imply a sincere concern for their condition.

In his farewell speech as President of SIGNIS, Mr. Augustine Loorthusamy highlighted the idea of the “culture of encounter”, that was present in the Congress in many conferences and workshops. For him, SIGNIS in the first place, must be a space of friendship among communicators all over the world. “We need to count on each other as a network for sharing experiences and assisting each other in situations of doubt, trouble and challenges”, he said.

Loorthusamy was invested as a Knight of the Order of Saint Sylvester during the closing ceremony of the Congress, for his contributions to Catholic communications as the President of SIGNIS and member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. With a long experience in Catholic communications in Asia and Pacific regions, he was first elected in 2005, in the World Congress hold in Lyon, France, and re-elected by delegates who gathered in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2009.

Two Outstanding Communicators Honoured
Fr Gaston Roberge SJ, pioneer of film and media education in India, and Mgr Roland Abou Jaoude, founder of the Catholic Information Centre in Lebanon, received SIGNIS Life Achievement Awards during the closing ceremony of the SIGNIS World Congress 2014. The SIGNIS Life Achievement Awards recognize SIGNIS members who have made outstanding contributions in the field of Catholic communication.

Born in Montreal in 1935, Fr Gaston Roberge SJ first came to India as Jesuit missionary in the 1960s. In 1973, he founded the Chitrabani communications centre in Kolkata. Created with the support of Satyajit Ray, the centre had the only independent film library in Kolkata. In 1980, Roberge became the first broadcaster of the Radio Veritas Asia Bengali programme, and 12 years later he started Chetana (Awareness), an adult education programme through radio focusing on village women. He has published books on communication, cinema, human development and spirituality. His book “Communication Cinema Development” received a national award at the 46th National Film Festival of India in 1999. Gaston Roberge continues to be the senior faculty member at the Department of Mass Communication and Videography at St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata. He is one of the pioneers who initiated, cultivated and nurtured film academic studies in India.

Bishop Abou Jaoude, Maronite Patriarchal Vicar, was elected, in 1977, President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Communications of the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon. In 1978 he established a Church information centre for Lebanon and the Middle East. He was putting the centre at the service of media communicators to all Lebanese from whatever their religious tradition. He also participated in the launch of the radio station Voice of Charity, as well as in the foundation of Tele Lumiere. He was elected chairman of the Tele Lumiere board in 2001 and still holds this post. Bishop Abou Jaoude was appointed several times a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and participated in the draft of the document Aetatis Novae. For more than 30 years, Bishop Abou Jaoude continued training seminarians, publishing on religious and cultural themes, encouraging harmony among communities and groups, strengthening ties between the Lebanese at home and abroad, deepening the constructive dialogue between East and West, and furthering the culture of dialogue in the Arab world.

SIGNIS Competitions recognized the production of young people
The awards of the SIGNIS Radio, Photo and Video Competitions 2013 were announced during the closing ceremony of the SIGNIS World Congress in Rome. The winners showcased the creativity of all the generations in expressing their hope for peace.

Many of the awarded experiences were developed by young people, like Franciscus Borgia Edgar, 23, of Indonesia, with his short film “My Fast”. Edgar is also one the VJs participating in the Congress. In the Photo Competition, the jury chose a photo by Dennis Varghese, 23, from the US. And in the Radio Competition, Diego Alejandro Martinez, only 16, from Guatemala won first prize with a short radio production entitled “Quiero la Paz del Mundo”.

More than 60 entries were received for the SIGNIS Competitions 2013 which aimed to mobilize media practitioners, educators, religious communities and young people all over the world to express their vision of a Culture of Peace through radio production, video-making or photography.

Delegates from all regions of the globe will take part of the SIGNIS General Assembly this Saturday afternoon. Among their activities, they will welcome new members and elect the new President and two Vice-Presidents that will lead the organization for the next three years. The reflections made during the Congress will inspire a mandate that will orient SIGNIS activities during this period.

SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication, is a worldwide network of communication professionals whose aim is to engage with media professionals and support Catholic communicators to help transform our cultures in the light of the Gospel by promoting human dignity, justice and reconciliation. It brings together members from more than 100 countries, gathering professionals in radio, television, cinema, video, media education, the Internet and new technologies. SIGNIS is officially recognized by the Vatican as a Catholic organization for communication. It has consultative status at UNESCO, ECOSOC (United Nations in Geneva and New York) and the Council of Europe.
(SIGNIS REPORT)