SOUTH SUDAN: Catholic Church in South Sudan Mourns Emeritus Bishop Paride Taban

Ginaba Lino

The Catholic Church and the entire people of South Sudan are in deep sorrow on the passing on of Emeritus Bishop Paride Taban, the First Bishop of Torit Catholic Diocese.

Emeritus Bishop Paride who has served as the Bishop of Torit for over 21 years departed this World on Wednesday, November 01, 2023, at the Solemnity of All Saints in Nairobi Kenya.

Paride Taban died at the age of 87 following a long illness.

Bishop Paride was born in 1936, in a village called Opari South Sudan and dedicated his life to serving others and spreading the message of love, peace, compassion, and faith. From an early age, he displayed a deep connection with spirituality and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on the lives of those around him.

He will be remembered for his unweaving commitment to faith, his profound wisdom, and his boundless love for others.

Bishop Taban leaves behind a remarkable legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.

Bishop Emmanuel Lowi, the Bishop of Torit Diocese called on the believers and the people of South Sudan at large to be comforted by the knowledge that his legacy lives on, as they continue to mourn the loss of their pioneer Bishop.

“As we mourn the loss of Bishop Paride Taban, let us be comforted by the knowledge that his legacy lives on.”

According to the statement made by the Bishop of Torit Emmanuel Lowi, the Church will update the Public on the arrangements Emeritus funeral.

Bishop Taban started his primary education in Katire and later in Loa Catholic Mission in 1950.He joined the Minor Seminary in Okaru in 1951 completing his studies there in 1956. He completed the Major Seminary in Tore in 1964 coinciding with the expulsion of the missionaries from the southern Sudan and the Church was experiencing severe persecution.

The Bishop was ordained as a priest on 24th May 1964 and appointed as the Rector of the Minor Seminary in Okaru in 1966, following the closing of the Seminary he moved to Juba and opened a new Minor Seminary there in 1967. Starting in 1969 during the civil war, he became a parish priest in Torit mission.

In 1972, following the Addis Ababa Peace Agreement, he became a parish priest of the Palotaka mission. In 1976, He was appointed a parish priest of the Loa mission and in 1980 and an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Juba in February 1980. During this same year on the 4th May 1980, he was consecrated a Bishop in Kinshasa, Zaire by Pope John Paul II.

In 1983, he was appointed the first Bishop of Torit. After two decades of clergy service in the war-torn country, the Bishop was compelled to escape to Uganda in 1984 then to Kenya and Central African Republic. He returned to South Sudan from exile after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005.

He retired from the Administration of the Catholic Diocese of Torit when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLM/SPLA and the Government of the Sudan was being reached in Naivasha in Kenya. In 2004 during the month of February 7th, he started the Order of the Holy Trinity Peace Village Kuron (HTPVK) which he dreamed of during the civil war and now it is no more a dream but a reality.

Bishop Emeritus’ unweaving commitment to his calling earned him the respect and admiration of countless individuals.

May his Soul find eternal peace, and may his teaching continue to guide and inspire the people of South Sudan.