{"id":23543,"date":"2025-11-12T18:57:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T18:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/?p=23543"},"modified":"2025-11-12T18:57:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T18:57:41","slug":"south-sudan-vatican-envoy-urges-bishops-in-sudan-and-south-sudan-to-stand-with-the-poor-and-offer-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/12\/south-sudan-vatican-envoy-urges-bishops-in-sudan-and-south-sudan-to-stand-with-the-poor-and-offer-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"SOUTH SUDAN: Vatican Envoy Urges Bishops in Sudan and South Sudan to Stand with the Poor and Offer Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ginaba Lino<\/em><\/p>\n

The Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan, Archbishop Patrick Seamus Horgan, has called on Catholic Bishops in Sudan and South Sudan to stand firmly with the poor, offering not only material assistance but also spiritual care and hope amid the continuing crises facing both nations.<\/p>\n

In his November 11 speech during the ongoing Bishops\u2019 Plenary Assembly in Malakal Diocese, Archbishop Horgan added that \u201cpreferential option for the poor must translate into a privileged and preferential religious care,\u201d emphasizing that the poor must remain at the heart of the Church\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

Archbishop Horgan was addressing the Plenary Assembly of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops\u2019 Conference in Malakal, a town that has endured years of civil conflict and severe flooding. He said the gathering itself symbolizes the Church\u2019s closeness to communities that continue to suffer displacement, poverty, and insecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur presence here speaks of the closeness of the Church to her children, even in times of distress and danger,\u201d he said, commending Bishop Stephen Nyodho Ador Majwok of Malakal for hosting the assembly despite the challenges facing his diocese.<\/p>\n

The Nuncio urged bishops and community leaders to continue advocating for peace and reconciliation, insisting that the Church must remain a moral voice amid political and social instability. \u201cWe must continue to work for peace and for the silencing of the weapons of war in our country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He warned that South Sudan\u2019s cycle of violence, often driven by competition for power and resources, cannot bring lasting peace. \u201cThere is a need to form a new habit of mind that does not see the gun as a solution to disagreement or as the only means of obtaining influence or a share of the country\u2019s riches,\u201d he cautioned and added, \u201cIt is a grave problem that many still believe one must take up arms to get a share of the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Archbishop Horgan also extended solidarity to bishops in Sudan, acknowledging the grave challenges they face as war continues to devastate their country. Recalling his pastoral visit to the Archdiocese of Khartoum in September, where he met Catholic communities in Atbara, Omdurman, and Port Sudan, he said the visit revealed \u201cthe extraordinary courage and faith\u201d of clergy and laypeople who continue to serve despite danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe visit offered an insight into the extraordinary challenges facing our brothers in Sudan and the urgent need to pray for a peaceful solution to that cruel war,\u201d he said, reaffirming the Vatican\u2019s solidarity with the Archdiocese of Khartoum and the Diocese of El Obeid.<\/p>\n

He echoed Pope Leo XIV\u2019s appeal for the creation of humanitarian corridors and an immediate ceasefire, stressing that \u201cthe suffering of innocent civilians must not be ignored.\u201d He described the Church\u2019s presence among displaced and wounded people as \u201ca living testimony of faith, resilience, and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the Church\u2019s spiritual mission amid turmoil, Archbishop Horgan reminded his fellow bishops of their duty to proclaim God\u2019s message courageously, even when society resists. Citing St. Paul\u2019s call to preach \u201cin season and out of season,\u201d and the writings of St. John Henry Newman, he said, \u201cThe message we have to deliver to the world is God\u2019s own revelation of himself. It offers humanity the only true recipe for happiness in this life and the next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turning to Pope Leo XIV\u2019s recent apostolic exhortation, (\u201cOn the Love of the Poor\u201d), released on October 4 the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi Archbishop Horgan described it as a vital guide for the Church\u2019s mission in today\u2019s world. The document, he noted, urges Christians to renew their commitment to justice, compassion, and solidarity with the marginalized.<\/p>\n

Citing the Book of Exodus \u201cI have heard the cry of my people; I know their sufferings, and I have come to deliver them\u201d<\/em> the Archbishop said the Pope\u2019s message affirms God\u2019s enduring response to human suffering through acts of mercy and service.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoverty is hardly accidental nor natural,\u201d Archbishop Horgan said. \u201cIt is often the result of greed and inequality.\u201d<\/p>\n

He echoed the Pope\u2019s warning that an obsession with wealth and comfort has created \u201ca bubble of luxury\u201d for a privileged few while millions remain trapped in poverty. This imbalance, he said, is evident even in South Sudan, where \u201ca small elite enjoys power and resources while most citizens struggle to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a world where the poor are increasingly numerous, we paradoxically see the growth of a wealthy elite, living in another world compared to ordinary people,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThe Church is fully the bride of the Lord only when she is also the sister of the poor,\u201d underscoring that the Gospel demands both compassion and justice.<\/p>\n

The Nuncio warned that the greatest form of discrimination against the poor is not merely material deprivation but spiritual neglect. He urged priests and bishops to strengthen pastoral outreach to those most in need.<\/p>\n

As he concluded his address, Archbishop Horgan encouraged the bishops to reflect deeply on Pope Leo XIV\u2019s message, describing it as a call to spiritual renewal and pastoral courage in times of crisis. \u201cIndeed, there is much for us to reflect upon in this first apostolic exhortation,\u201d he said. \u201cIt speaks directly to our context and to our calling as shepherds of God\u2019s people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ginaba Lino The Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan, Archbishop Patrick Seamus Horgan, has called on…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23542,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23543","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\/23543","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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23543"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23544,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23543\/revisions\/23544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communications.amecea.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}