PAPAL VISIT SOUTH SUDAN: Pope Francis Kickstarts South Sudan Ecumenical Pilgrimage With Appeal for Peace and Reconciliation
Andrew Kaufa smm
On his ecumenical visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis has on his. First day in the country set his agenda clear by expressing his wish for prayer and unity in the country.
While expressing his gratitude to President Salvar Kir Mayardit and the people of South Sudan for the warm welcome he received, Pope Francis has prayed for reconciliation in the country.
“As a pilgrim here, I pray that in this beloved country, which is a gift of the Nile, Rives of peace may flow and the people of South Sudan, a land of great abundance, may see reconciliation blossom and prosperity spring forth,” reads a message signed by the Holy Father, which the Vatican Press has shared with AMECEA Online.
Pope Francis also expressed his call for mutual forgiveness and reconciliation as he gave his state of the nation address at the State House of the President of South Sudan and to the Civil Society Organizations, calling upon all the warring factions to ensure that Jesus’ prayer for unity of his disciples in the Gospel of John chapter 15 may be answered in South Sudan.
“I come to you today with my brothers here, in Christ and in humility and with hope that as brothers and sisters, people of different denominations may journey together and work together so that the people of South Sudan and the whole world may realize the prayer of Jesus Christ for blessed are the peace makers,” said Pope Francis.
Earlier, on board Italian Airways no. A359, Pope Francis, through a telegram messages, underscored his wish for reconciliation, peace and prosperity not only to the people of South Sudan but also the DRC and Uganda.
“His Excellency Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, I wish to express my deep gratitude to Your Excellency and the beloved Congolese people for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to me during my visit, he said and added, “With the assurance of my prayers, I invoke upon the nation the divine blessings of peace, joy and prosperity.”
And to Uganda, the Holy Father also sent a telegram message to President Yoweri Museveni saying, “As I pass through Ugandan airspace on my ecumenical pilgrimage of peace to South Sudan, I offer Your Excellency and your fellow citizens the assurance of prayers and good wishes for the wellbeing of the nation.”
Pope Francis is currently on an ecumenical pilgrimage to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of South Sudan, together with the leader of the Anglican Church Rev. Dr Justin Welby the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Rev. Dr Ian Glennshields.
A journey which started in Kinshasa the capital city of the DRC on 31st January and will end in Juba the capital city of South Sudan on Sunday the 5th of February 2023.
