SOUTH SUDAN: Pope Francis’ Pilgrimage of Peace “Inspired us,” Says Bishop After Walking 400Km to Juba
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
A Catholic Bishop who walked with Christians from South Sudan’s Rumbek Diocese to Juba where the Holy Father had three-day Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage has said that it is the Pope himself who inspired their 400-Km journey.
“We were inspired by the fact that Pope Francis called himself pilgrim of peace,” Bishop Christian Carlassare of Rumbek Catholic Diocese shared with AMECEA online in an interview and continued, “We wondered how the Holy Father an elderly person can be a pilgrim of peace from Rome to South Sudan and do not find us pilgrims of peace.”
Based on this, the Prelate said, “We had to be ourselves pilgrims of peace within our country, to open new ways of doing things, news ways of being together and new pastoral makers. We therefore thought of it to be also pilgrims of peace and walk together to Juba from Rumbek to witness peace, to witness unity, to bond together and be in solidarity with one another.”
Sharing the experience for the nine-day pilgrimage journey, the member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) stressed that “The experience was very great with increased bond of relationship from the pilgrims.”
“From the beginning many people did not know each other but as the days went by we bonded so well leaving us with an experience that we will never forget,” he expressed and narrated further, “There was good participation with positive welcome by all the communities along the way as we walked whether along the road or where we stopped to spend the night.”
Additionally, the Italian-born Prelate shared his observation, “The pilgrimage was not only done by the 84 people (60 youths and 24 supporting staff) who left from Rumbek but with many hundreds or may be even thousands of people who joined on the journey by either coming to pick us before reaching the community where we were to settle for the night or accompanying us ahead or in any way by praying for us or giving us food.”
Bishop Carlassare appreciated the welcome pilgrims received when they arrived in Juba as great and encouraging as many people including the Apostolic Nuncio in South Sudan and Kenya, Archbishop Hubertus van Megen joined the team.
“I was really carried by the strength of the youths and the many people who believed that we were not only walking for ourselves but on behalf of the nation,” Bishop Carlassare said.
The nine-day pilgrimage of peace which comprised of priests, Religious, a deacon and lay faithful, was a moment of prayer where pilgrims celebrated Eucharistic celebration daily, meditated on the phases of the journey as each person reflected on his/her own life and vocation.
According to Bishop Carlassare, the pilgrimage journey which commenced on Wednesday, January 25, which marked the end of Christian Unity, was also joined by other Christians other than Catholics.
“This was ecumenical pilgrimage. Even though the great majority were Catholics we were joined by other pilgrims from the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and young people from other Christian Churches,” Bishop Carlassare who was appointed to head Rumbek Diocese in 2021 said during the interview Saturday, February 4, and continued, Archbishop of the Episcopal Church walked the first day and blessed the pilgrims. This was so beautiful that as the Pope visited with leaders of other Christian Churches, we too can make the pilgrimage journey with members of other denominations other than Catholics.
The Prelate appealed to all people of South Sudan to be obedient and listen carefully to Pope Francis’ word and abide to those words.
“Let the Pope’s words increase our hope to work towards peace without discouragement and trust that one day peace will be achieved,” the Bishop urged the people adding that this can only be realized if “humanity walk the path of peace every day with the aim of achieving something great to reach that communion with God.”
