PAPAL VISIT SOUTH SUDAN: Eastern Africa Catholic Bishops in Solidarity with South Sudan at Pope Francis’ Ecumenical Visit
AMECEA Chairman Bishop and Bishop of Solwezi diocese, Zambia, Charles Kasonde
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
At Pope Francis’ three-day visit in the world’s youngest nation, Bishops of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) joined in the ecumenical pilgrimage of peace as a sign of solidarity with their brother bishops of Sudan South Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SSSCBC).
Sharing with AMECEA online on Saturday, February 4, about the presence of AMECEA during the visit, the Chairman of the association Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde stressed the aspect of being in solidarity as one family.
“This was an opportunity for us the Catholic Church to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the protestant world: the Anglicans, the Presbyterians and all the others in different churches so we could come together and pray because of the seriousness we attach to this peace we all long to see in South Sudan,” Bishop Kasonde of Zambia’s Solwezi Diocese highlighted.
He expressed that South Sudan being part of the AMECEA region, “there was need join with them in welcoming the Holy Father and prayer together for reconciliation and peace to take root and to also bring the blessings of God upon this land.”
In his desire, through the ecumenical pilgrim of peace, “the shackles of war may be destroyed so that the people of South Sudan may leave in peace and enjoy the serene environment which God has given, as those who have gone out as refugees be returned back home and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) be re-oriented to go back to their homes and be able to provide for one another.”
He therefore affirms that being together in such moments, “Is a concrete example of AMECEA’s love and trust that South Sudan may succeed in peace building and that the negotiation that has been started may reign.”
“One of our targets as AMECEA is to foster unity, that which we call “AMECEAness,” the President of Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Archbishop Gervas John Nyaisonga said during the Saturday interview.
He noted that the visit of Pope Francis in the AMECEA region is an occasion for members to show unity “that we are one.”
“Unity is always defined by feeling with the people whether in joy or in sorrow. So from time to time we have been sharing our feelings with those who are sufferings or in joy in various parts of AMECEA including South Sudan,” The Archbishop of Mbeya Archdiocese Tanzania underscored adding that, “when such events are taking place in our region we show the solidarity.”
The Tanzanian Prelate who was re-elected for a second term as the President of TEC in 2021, further shared that since the Holy Father visited South Sudan for the first time with the intent of preaching peace, the region anticipates that the “Visit may strengthen the process of reconciliation, justice and liberty which are values and ideals of AMECEA, and that the people of South Sudan may strive for the same.”
On his part Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel, the Archbishop of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, appreciated the presence of the Holy Father in South Sudan as an instrument of peace.
“This is a great Joy that finally he (the Pope) has come to South Sudan and he is an instrument of peace…He spoke to the leaders of the nation and said enough conflict, enough war. This beautiful and young country needs peace, reconciliation and reconstruction,” the member of the Congregation of the Mission (CM) said.
Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde, the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) compares sharing in solidarity to how families support each other in times of joys and sufferings.
“Ours as AMECEA is to share in the pains and gains of our brothers in South Sudan. Just as a family pulls together, so our unity brings about a feeling that the Church is a family of God and that is the intention of AMECEA,” the Archbishop said and continued, that “The significance of the AMECEA bishops, the brotherhood or the AMECEAness is real.”
With the presence of Pope Francis in South Sudan, “So we feel indebted to join in this pilgrimage journey and walk with them as sharing in their pains and gains,” Archbishop Kivuva of Kenya’s Mombasa Archdiocese shared during the Saturday interview.
He further appreciated the effort of the Pontiff noting that with the Pope’s age and health and still managed to travel to South Sudan “is already a great impact that we are all called to reach out to our brothers anywhere and at any time.”
“The state of the Pope and his humility pierces one’s heart to feel that the Holy Father is in need of reconciliation and peace for South Sudan,” he concluded.
