It is not always that matters spiritual and scientific or technological are mentioned in the same breath. Except perhaps in opposition. That is the general perception –that religion and science are inherently in conflict.

This owes in part to the Catholic Church’s treatment of Galileo all those centuries ago when he dared say the earth revolved around the sun.

The view that science and religion are in mortal conflict is largely erroneous. The church has led in promoting knowledge – through education generally, but also actively getting involved in science and technology. Indeed, the church boasts of eminent scientists among its ranks.

Still the view persists, often reinforced by the perceived differences between the two.

Science and technology, for instance, is built on the spirit of enquiry – an almost insatiable desire to look into the nature of things, examine their composition, relationships or connections that make them so, and question existing assumptions. In the process new discoveries are made, new relationships created and fresh assumptions emerge.

Science and technology is synonymous with innovation and invention but also disruption. New inventions disrupt the existing patterns and create new ones.

Religion, on the other hand, is founded on faith and acceptance of what has been passed down and the teachings of the church fathers. The church (particularly the mainstream and traditional) is built on tradition and the conservation of what exists, maintaining relations as they are. In this sense science is seen as tinkering with divine order, particularly when it goes against established teaching.

Science encourages curiosity which may lead to divergent views. Religion values obedience and conformity.

And so, because of all this, the church tends to go slow on matters of technology and adopts new ways rather slowly, preferring the old, familiar and tested methods.

The church in Rwanda seems to be bucking that trend, or at any rate Antoine Cardinal Kambanda is. Since becoming Cardinal, he has taken to twitter in a very lively manner, posting spirit-uplifting tweets every week.

He tweets on a wide range of issues, most at the centre of church teaching, but also on wider social relations. The subjects include the family, spirituality, individual responsibility, community spirit, among others.

Twitter as an evangelical tool? That’s a new one in these parts. We haven’t seen many clerics use it much. That is now changing.

It is probably one of the unexpected consequences of the covid-19 pandemic that has prevented normal worship of the faithful in a congregation. Church leaders have had to adapt to new circumstances and find other ways of reaching their flock. And so, they are going beyond traditional radio and TV and embracing social media in their evangelical work.

Now worship is an individual and also collective activity. Christian worship, in fact, stresses fellowship – gathering of the faithful to pray together. It is participatory and best done in person.

Covid-19 has disrupted that form of worship and so we are learning a new form of participation – remote and in solitude. Does that sound contradictory? Not quite. There is participation of the spirit – after all, worship is a spiritual exercise before it is a social experience.

Cardinal Kambanda’s tweets, therefore, are likely meant to keep alive the spirit of communion even when not in congregation. They reach even non-Catholics, or those unlikely to be in church on Sunday to listen to his homilies.

He does not invent the tweets. They are actually his master’s words, biblical quotes complete with chapter and verse. Most people are used to that and could easily dismiss them as the usual utterances of preachers. But there is a difference about them that makes them attractive, maybe because of the way they are presented.

They are delivered with a reassuring friendliness that invites one to take note and reflect on the words, their meaning and relevance in their lives. You can actually hear the Cardinal’s quiet voice, see his calm demeanour, and feel the conviction and sincerity behind the tweets.

It is a different world from that of some other preachers who invariably preface their every remark with "the Bible says” and then go on to harangue and intimidate their congregation into submission with their near-manic insistence as much as with chapter and verse quotations. They often exhibit a sense of self-righteousness that borders on the sinful.

I suppose you might say it is all a question of method. Maybe.

Anyway, the church is embracing social media. As noted, it is probably the result of covid-19, but it could also be a calculated adoption of a communication medium that is clearly effective in the times we are in. In a broader sense, it may indicate the church’s readiness to adopt other changes.

The views expressed in this article are of the writer.