Pope encourages desire for peace in South Sudan
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South Sudan is the second leg of Pope Francis' visit to the African continent. The maximum leader of the Catholic Church is trying to give new life to the peace process of the young nation, which is stagnant, asking for tolerance and forgiveness.
“Let us ask ourselves what it means for us to be ministers of God in a land marked by war, hatred, violence and poverty”, said the Pope.
The visit is intended to draw attention to what the Vatican considers to be neglected conflicts and to increase the Catholic Church's influence in a region where its popularity is growing.
The Pope's visit
After arriving this Friday, February 3, 2023, to the newest country in the world, on the first papal visit ever, Pope Francis spent Saturday ministering, first to church dignitaries and then to South Sudanese who were forced by fighting, floods and other crises to leave their homes.
The Pope sought this Saturday, February 4, 2023, to console the suffering people of South Sudan as he opened his first full day in a country ravaged by conflict, poverty and humanitarian crises, encouraging priests and nuns to serve their flocks by joining them if to your tears.
In this effort, after having addressed the clergy at the Cathedral of Saint Teresa, in Juba, South Sudan, he met with a group of faithful Catholics from the city of Rumbek, who had walked for more than a week to reach the capital.
Tolerance and forgiveness was, in fact, the message that the Pope also left during his recent visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo:
“Be witnesses of mercy and reconciliation in the midst of violence unleashed not only by the exploitation of resources and by ethnic and tribal conflicts, but also and above all by the dark power of the evil one, the enemy of God and humanity”.
The objectives
Along with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Presbyterian head of the Church of Scotland, Francis is seeking to bring world attention to the country's plight.
Pope Francis particularly highlighted the plight of women in South Sudan, half of whom are married before the age of 18, who are subjected to rampant sexual violence and then face the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.
Rich in oil and other natural resources, but beset by years of civil war and conflict, South Sudan is one of the world's poorest countries and is responsible for Africa's worst refugee crisis: more than two million people have fled the country. and another two million are displaced within its borders.
“How can we exercise our ministry on this earth, along the banks of a river bathed in so much innocent blood, among the tear-stained faces of the people entrusted to us?”
Said Pope Francis in the Cathedral of Santa Teresa, in the capital, Juba.
Conclusion
The aim of the new ecumenical visit, of course, is to encourage South Sudan's political leaders to implement the 2018 peace agreement that is expected to end a civil war that broke out after the overwhelmingly Christian country gained independence from Sudan, in 2011, a mostly Muslim country.
What do you think of this trip by Pope Francis? Will the Pope really be able to bring peace to this region of Africa? We want to know your opinion, do not hesitate to comment and if you liked the article, share it and give it a “like”.
Picture: © 2023 Vatican Media
