SIGNIS 2025 Conference concludes in Enugu with Strong Call for Rethinking Religious Imagery

The Holy Ghost Cathedral, Enugu, came alive this week as the diocese played host to a vibrant convergence of theologians, artists, media professionals, and Church leaders at the 2025 SIGNIS Humanitarian Foundation Conference and Regina Cultural Art Exhibition. Themed “Sacred Symbols, Cultural Identities: Rethinking Iconography and Imagery in Global Religions,” the four-day event opened with powerful reflections on the evolving role of visual communication in evangelization.

The two-day conference was held on Thursday, 13th, and Friday, 14th June 2025.

2025 SIGNIS Humanitarian Foundation is an arm of SIGNIS AFRICA, the Catholic Association for Communication. It is a Non-Governmental and Non-Profit Organization founded on the basic principle of human communication which is to foster communion.  The Foundation thus has the aim of assisting SIGNIS AFRICA to communicate love to humanity.

In his welcome address, the Diocesan Director of Communications, Rev. Fr. Anthony Aneke, representing the Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Chukwuma Onaga, extended warm hospitality to delegates and guests. “This gathering is not merely a conference,” he said, “it is a mission field where faith meets media and culture, where the Gospel encounters technology, and where the Church’s voice strives to remain a lamp shining in the digital wilderness of our time.”

Special appreciation was extended to Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Ihejirika, President of SIGNIS Humanitarian Foundation, Nigeria, for his leadership, and Sr. Mary Lucy Okwuokwulu for her vision and courage in bringing the conference to life. The local organizing committee was also commended for their dedication in ensuring a smooth and inspiring event.

A major highlight of the two-day event was the unveiling of a specially curated artwork of the Virgin Mary, celebrating Marian devotion through a culturally resonant lens. The piece, designed by Rev. Sis Mary Lucy Okwuokwulu and blessed during the exhibition opening, beautifully embodied the conference’s theme, demonstrating how traditional iconography can be reimagined to reflect local identities while upholding sacred truths.

In his welcome address, the President of SIGNIS Humanitarian Foundation, Rev. Fr. Prof. Walter Ihejirika, emphasized the need for deeper research and a renewed commitment to evangelization through images and iconography. He called for visual expressions of faith that not only reflect the creative spirit of the people of God but also resonate meaningfully with local cultures and communities.

Adding significant weight to the  discourse was Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa, the pioneer Bishop of Katsina Diocese, whose keynote presentation titled “Windows to the Divine: Iconography, Religious Images, and Communication as Instruments of Evangelization, Catechesis, and Enculturation in Nigeria” challenged the Church to rethink how it uses images in faith formation.

Bishop Musa advocated for the inclusion of “visual literacy” in parish catechism programs, insisting that integrating religious imagery into sacramental life and catechesis can deepen evangelization efforts. “The faithful must be taught that religious images are not idols,” he said, “but signs pointing to the divine.”

The Bishop called on dioceses and seminaries to train artists capable of merging theological depth with African artistic forms such as wood carvings, textiles, beadwork, and murals. He also stressed the importance of collaboration: “Artists must not work in isolation. Theologians and clergy should collaborate with visual artists to ensure that religious images convey sound doctrine while resonating culturally.”

Bishop Musa urged Catholic digital influencers to promote doctrinally sound and visually compelling content online. He envisioned a Church in Nigeria producing high-quality digital icons and religious visuals that elevate both beauty and faith. He encouraged the use of African imagery in liturgical art, including altar designs, Stations of the Cross, stained glass, and statues, saying this would strengthen enculturation and meaningful religious communication.

He further proposed that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) consider organizing national exhibitions and workshops for Christian artists, to reward theological creativity and spark deeper dialogue between faith and culture.

Bishop Musa also used his presentation to address persistent challenges, including cultural alienation and western artistic domination in Nigerian religious iconography. “Most religious images in Nigeria portray European features—white-skinned Jesus, blue-eyed Mary, and Western architectural forms,” he lamented. “This creates a disconnection between faith and local identity, leading to the perception that Christianity is a foreign religion.”

He concluded with a powerful reflection: “God Himself used a visual icon when He took flesh in Jesus Christ. The Word became visible. Our task is to make that visible Word shine in our communities through images that speak, that teach, that console, and that convert.”

Interactive sessions held provided a platform for participants to further explore how religious imagery can be reshaped to reflect indigenous aesthetics without compromising theological integrity. Discussions revolved around reclaiming beauty as a vehicle for truth, and how fleeting digital visuals might be transformed into tools for deep spiritual encounter.

The Enugu Diocese, described by the host director as “cosmopolitan, rich in Marian devotion, and blessed with over 530 diocesan priests and more than 1,000 religious men and women,” provided a fitting environment for this landmark convergence of culture, theology, and media.

As the conference concluded successfully, participants are going back not only with new ideas but also with new images, images that inspire faith, affirm cultural identity, and communicate the Gospel with clarity and creativity.

*Additional Report from The Choice Flame**