ACN Supporting Catholic Radio in Mozambique

The north of Mozambique has been torn apart by terrorism. This means there are many isolated Catholic communities whose only contact with the Church is through Catholic radio. ACN is providing aid to local Catholic radio stations and local communities to keep broadcasts going during these times of war.

By ACN Staff

The studio of Rádio Sem Fronteiras before being destroyed by terrorists. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Since 2017, a destructive Islamist insurgency has raged in the north of Mozambique. This ongoing terrorist campaign has cost the lives of thousands of people and has displaced hundreds of thousands. Before the unrest it was already difficult to reach some of the isolated communities in this part of Mozambique. The ongoing conflict, combined with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, has now made reaching these communities next to impossible.

A woman listening to a evangelization broadcast on Rádio Sem Fronteiras. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

In recent decades, the Church in Africa has been exploring radio as a new way of reaching the faithful. The current circumstances in Mozambique have made Catholic radio invaluable as a means for the local Church to maintain some sort of ministry with isolated local communities during this time of crisis. The radio allows for live broadcast of Holy Mass to be heard by these communities, which is obviously not a replacement for attendance but is better than northing under the current circumstance. The radio also broadcasts Christian music to keep the people’s spirits up and to inspire them to prayer. Like in Catholic radio stations in Ireland, these radio stations also broadcast the Rosary and have slots for priests and catechists to give catechetical broadcasts and carry out evangelization over the airwaves.

One of the Catholic radio stations in the area is called Rádio São Francisco. Unfortunately Rádio São Francisco’s radio studio was completely destroyed by terrorists. The same has happened to another Catholic radio station called Rádio Sem Fronteiras. Understanding the importance of these radio stations’ broadcasts to the local faithful, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has paid for the production of programmes by these radio stations while their studios are no longer functioning and we have also provided funds for them to hire out slots on other radio stations to allow for some form of Catholic content to continue to be broadcast.

The delivery of solar radios. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

There are still other hurdles for local people to tune into Catholic radio. Many people in the region have been displaced and others live in poverty. For these reasons many Catholics do not have access to a radio or else do not have electricity or batteries. ACN has therefore decided to purchase a number of solar powered radio sets for these communities. These radio sets have been entrusted to community leaders for safe keeping and to ensure that everyone in the community has the opportunity to listen to Catholic broadcasts. Father Latifo Fonseca, the director of Rádio Sem Fronteiras, has expressed his thanks to ACN for helping  Catholics in northern Mozambique to continue to have access to the Gospels during these times of war and pandemic. Father Latifo Fonseca wanted to pass on this message to ACN’s benefactors:

“Please accept my special blessing on each one of you, for each day you are facilitating the mission of Jesus in places where there is great suffering.”

There is plenty of suffering at the present time in northern Mozambique. With God’s help the local people will get through these trying times. ACN is determined to continue to provide aid to the local Church as it ministers to the Catholics of Mozambique.