SOUTH SUDAN: South Sudanese Bishop “Holds on” The Planned Funeral Mass for Missing Priest and Driver, Awaiting State Directives
Bishop Eduardo Kussala
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The Local Ordinary for South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio (CDTY) Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala has called off the funeral Mass for the missing priest Fr. Luke Yugue and his driver Michael Gbeko, as earlier planned to wait for the government’s advice on the next move.
“Let us hold on with the requiem Mass for our two brothers and move on with the Pentecost celebration as we usually do in our parishes,” Bishop Hiiboro said in an audio clip shared with AMECEA Online while addressing his brother priests and Christians of Tombura Yambio Diocese
“We will not have the funeral prayers which we planned for Friday and Saturday. We will communicate next week depending on information from the government,” he has announced.
Bishop Hiiboro had planned a funeral Mass for the duo based on the fact that his communication with the Head of State President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday, April 29, and with the State Government of Western Equatoria State had not borne any fruit, and the Diocese suspects Fr. Yugue and Mr. Gbeko might have died.
Besides, he narrated in the audio clip shared Thursday, May 16, “We were advised by the government to give them some time. They will give us concrete information since we were to celebrate the funeral Mass with a divided mind of whether our brothers were alive or not.”
The priest and driver went missing between Nagero County and Tombura County, the Wau road on Saturday, April 27, and since then, neither the Diocese nor the State has concrete information of their whereabouts.
According to the county commissioner Mr. Matthew Mabenge, in a statement dated Wednesday, May 1, in responding to Bishop Hiibiro, as he narrated the disappearance of the priest and the motorcycle rider who carried him, the two might have died.
“According to my observation, they aren’t alive because such has happened several times. When 17 people were abducted from Mabenge, we failed to get their bodies. The same happened to Joseph Opoya, a Ugandan national; we tried to search for him for one month, but there was nothing and this seems to be the same scenario,” he shared his thoughts in response to the Bishop.
The South Sudanese Prelate called all Christians and clerics to go into the mood of the Pentecost festival and continue praying for Fr. Yugue and Mr. Gbeko for the Holy Spirit to enlighten and lead the Diocese.
The Bishop highlighted that Fr. Yugue has been so passionate about charismatic life and instrumental in strengthening it.
Prior to making the tough decision of having a funeral Mass for the two, Bishop Hiiboro had organized a four-day prayer with the intention of the safety of Fr. Yugue and his rider, Mr. Gbeko.
“I hereby appeal to all of you wherever you are, specifically in our parishes and institutions to hold an organized prayer for a good four days beginning on May 2nd, 2024, for Fr. Yugue and Mr. Gbeko,” Bishop Hiiboro said in a message dated Thursday, May 2, and asked that Holy Mass be offered in all institutions of CDTY for the two.
