{"id":21395,"date":"2024-12-06T19:02:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T19:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/?p=21395"},"modified":"2024-12-06T19:02:33","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T19:02:33","slug":"south-sudan-be-the-first-to-extend-an-olive-branch-cease-hostilities-south-sudanese-prelate-ahead-of-major-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2024\/12\/06\/south-sudan-be-the-first-to-extend-an-olive-branch-cease-hostilities-south-sudanese-prelate-ahead-of-major-events\/","title":{"rendered":"SOUTH SUDAN: Be the First to Extend an Olive Branch, Cease Hostilities, South Sudanese Prelate Ahead of Major Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA <\/em><\/p>\n

In preparation for the celebration of Advent, Christmas, and the Centenary of faith of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan, the Local Ordinary has called upon the communities in the Western Equatoria State of the country to \u201chalt hostilities\u201d and called each person to take the first step in bringing peace.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am appealing to you to halt hostilities during this period of Advent, the period that we are celebrating the centenary of faith in the area where both the Balanda and Azande communities have benefited,\u201d Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala\u00a0 highlighted in his statement dated Monday, December 2,\u00a0 and stressed, \u201cLet us not wait for others to take the first step, but let each of us be the first, a true bearer of peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Hiiboro\u2019s concerns were triggered due to the recent signs of hostilities shown by the communities, and at the same time it is the region<\/a> where Fr. Luke Yugue Mbokusa and Mr. Michael Gbeko, went missing in late April, and the duo were never found until the Diocese declared funeral prayers on 25th<\/sup> May.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a shepherd of Christ sent to preach the message of peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness to the world, I am begging you on my knees in the name of our Lord and Savior to stop hating and killing each other,\u201d Bishop Hiiboro appealed while addressing all people including Christians, government officials, and all children of God to embrace peace.<\/p>\n

He asked them to use whatever peace left in their heart to work towards cultivating peace and unconditional love within and between the two communities.<\/p>\n

Giving reference to the pastoral letter he had released for the Advent season the Bishop said, \u201cI invited you to make it a time of renewal, reconstruction, rebuilding, and revival. \u00a0Let it be a time when we pray, pray, and pray for the grace of a right mind and a renewed spirit,\u201d and at the same time, \u201cLet it be a time when we come together in peace and healing, offering forgiveness where there has been hurt and extending a hand of reconciliation to all.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the South Sudanese Prelate, \u201cThere is the spirit of evil hovering over Tombura,\u201d No wonder the people purpose to hate and kill each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly Jesus can bring the peace we need. So, whatever hate we have toward others, the hate is not from God. It is from the devil,\u201d he narrated and continued, \u201cWe need to welcome Jesus in our hearts while on our knees alone in our rooms, tents, or under the trees.\u201d Since \u201cJesus already defeated Satan on the Cross he can do the same and defeat Satan in our hearts if we allow him in within this Advent period.\u201d<\/p>\n

The celebration of 100 years of faith in Tombura from 5th<\/sup>\u00a0to 9th<\/sup>\u00a0December, is an event that will mark the end of the year of Centenary and reminds the people of Tombura of those who had sacrificed their lives to bring Christ to them.<\/p>\n

The Bishop further warned the people of Western Equatoria State that violence only breeds violence and peace requires harmony.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that many of us believe that only violence can bring peace.\u00a0 But, peace cannot be achieved through violence. Ethnic conflict can be stopped only by peaceful means,\u201d he said and pointed out\u201d We will only have the peace our communities need through dialogue and understanding.\u00a0 No community can achieve peace by encouraging more violence.\u00a0 Thus, peace will come only when both sides are ready to resolve the current conflict without violence. \u201c<\/p>\n

He concluded, \u201cJesus is asking to come into our hearts to clean them of the spirit of violence and then replace it with the spirit of unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA In preparation for the celebration of Advent, Christmas, and the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amecea-news","category-sudansouth-sudan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21395"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21397,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21395\/revisions\/21397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}