SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN: Bishops Leaving for Ad Limina Visit

Among the activities that Bishops of Sudan and South Sudan plan to undertake in Rome during their Ad Limina Visit, they look forward to celebrating Mass and praying together for their two countries, discussing the big question of the absence of peace and persistent suffering of their people and finally having an audience with the Holy Father Pope Francis.

According to the message addressed to the people of God in Sudan and South Sudan, the Chairman of the Conference, Rt. Rev. Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala, said that their visit to Rome begins on August 24^th August and will end on September 7^th.

“We hope to come back with a message of encouragement and support. That’s really the spiritual reason for this exercise – to experience our interior connectedness, our relationships with each other as brother bishops along with the Holy Father. He has an opportunity to do his job, which is to be the source of unity for the whole body of Bishops,” Bishop Hiiboro explained.

Bishop Hiiboro said that as a Church, they welcome the continual searches, negotiations and preliminary agreements that have so far been signed to end the violence in South Sudan. As they travel to meet the Holy Father, they ask their faithful Christians, clergy and members of the Religious Congregations working in their dioceses to continue to praying for them and for peace.

“The Church will always stand with the right option. Above all, any move that is inclusive and which can bring genuine peace to the troubled nation as South Sudan is welcomed,” he said adding that they are cognisant of the challenges which lie ahead such as the security of people, the implementation of agreements signed and sustainable reforms, just to mention but a few.

Below is the full statement of Bishop Hiiboro’s Message to the people of Sudan and South Sudan

Catholic Bishops of Sudan and South Sudan leave for Ad’ Limina Visit to Rome

September 24th 2018

To you the people of God in Sudan and South Sudan,

Our visit to Rome as Bishops Assembly beginning August 24th to September 7th Ad liminaapostolorum (“to the threshold of the Apostles”), visits are usually scheduled once every five years, but for special reasons our last Ad Limina Visit was way back in 2009, back in the later years of Pope Benedict XVI and the early years of Pope Francis. This Ad Limina visit is coming in since 9 years. Ad Limina apostotorum – “to the tomb of the apostles visits” – are the meetings that groups of bishops (bishops’ conferences) from each ecclesiastical region in the world have with the pope every five years. In such occasions they also visit and celebrate Mass at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul.

We hope to come back with a message of encouragement and support. That’s really the spiritual reason for this exercise — to experience our interior connectedness, our relationships with each other as brother bishops along with the Holy Father. He has an opportunity to do his job, which is to be the source of unity for the whole body of Bishops.

Spiritual Experience.

We will celebrate Mass there and pray for our dioceses, our countries to have peace and renew our spiritual connection and our spiritual commitment to the work of the Apostles.
We’ll be discussing the big questions that face us as a Church in the Sudan and South Sudan, the questions of absence of peace with persisting sufferings. I don’t think the conference is divided on this. I think the conference is trying to find its way in a new pastoral reality to continuously contribute firmly to building genuine peace.
Pope Francis since his Pontificate has continued to demonstrate true love and Fatherly care toward our two Sudans. He has had emphasized the teaching and effectiveness of national bishops’ conferences and groupings of conferences in all his important documents. The message has been that co-operation among bishops who share a common cultural and civil context should be the first tool bishops reach for when faced with a problem.
This visit is an opportunity to share the life of the diocese. For example, there may be questioning about particular issues, if you want. But the work of the dicasteries (Vatican departments) is like coming to aid of the brothers.
We, bishops of the Conference of Sudan and South Sudan will hold our Extraordinary Meeting (from August 28-30th) prior to holding an Audience with the Holy Father on September 03rd 2018, which as well coincided with the “ad limina visit”.

Meeting with Pope Francis:

The important moments of the visit will first be our audience with Pope Francis;
Prayer Retreat, and the pilgrimage to the basilicas of Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major and Saint St. Josephine Bakhita (our Saint) in Schio (Vicenza), where we shall pray for the strengthening of the faith of our faithful who live in difficult situations, especially in South Sudan, Nuba Mountains, Darfur, Southern Blue Nile or whole of Sudan. Our great will surely come from the encouragement and the strong attention with which Pope Francis follows the events in our two nations, from his prayers, charity, establishing a permanent Vatican See in South Sudan and from the tireless work he does for peace and justice and for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.
The same nearness we look forward to when we shall be meeting or visiting the dicasteries of the Vatican.

Our Call for Peace:

As Catholic Church, we welcome the continual searches, negotiations and preliminary agreements which have been signed so far. As we travel to go to meet the Holy Father, we ask you our faithful, the clergy and to the members of the religious congregations working in our dioceses to continue to pray for us and for peace.
The Church will always stand with the right option and above all any move that is inclusive which can bring genuine peace to the troubled nation as South Sudan is welcomed. We admire the move taken by the region or IGAD (more especial Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia and the international partners), etc, to settle those difficult issues around ceasefire, security arrangements and governance. We are however concerned about certain level of the lack of transparency and the exclusion of other stakeholders from the process. We call on all parties to refrain from harsh utterances of inflammatory language and intimidations. Parties to the conflict should demonstrate through their actions and words that they are committed to peace. These concerted approaches to bring about peace to South Sudan ought to continue to ensure its implementation without hindrance.
We are very much aware of the considerable challenges which lie ahead such as implementations, sustainable reforms, security of the people and services to mention only but a few. All the stakeholders should fully be committed to making sure this time round the desired peace should not be lost and those who are seen to be working against peace and or violating its provisions are held to account. IGAD, AU and the UN should continue to play key roles in this respect by ensuring that the peace agreement is upheld in letter and spirit.
As Church, we urge all leaders and all those concerned, to respect and abide by the provisions of the agreement and above all; foster political will so as to enable the implementation of the final peace agreement once it is signed. We strongly believe that without such political will, peace will never come to the people of South Sudan.
To the international partners, we appreciate the support you have continued to offer by helping the people of South Sudan in their quest for peace without which the peace process would have not been possible. We urge you to remain committed to this process till the final stage of the peace implementation.
As church we promise our unwavering stand for working for genuine peace and our prayers to God for the process will continue.

Oh Christ Jesus! during our visit to the See of St. Peter, confirm within us again the charge that we first got when we were yet ordained bishops – to preach and teach the truth of the Gospel in love and with conviction and courage, to shepherd our dioceses with wisdom and prudence, and to work diligently for the sanctity of all who are under our care. Drive far from us all fear, worry and sadness. Fill us instead with your Spirit of joy, peace, patience and endurance. May we return to our dioceses and countries refreshed to continue to guide your people with the strength and vitality of your Holy Spirit and so lead them to eternal life with you and all of the Saints.

We wish you every best in the interest of peace.

Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Dr. Kussala

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio and

President of Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference

By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News