AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - Year of Consecrated Life: Religious committed to healing the wounds of the Civil War

Juba (Agenzia Fides) - "We invite everyone to celebrate this Year in a special way, for the gift of consecrated and missionary life, and to share our call with the people, especially the younger ones". This is the appeal launched by the Association of Superiors of Religious Institutes of South Sudan in a letter for the Year of Consecrated Life.
In the document, sent to Agenzia Fides, it is emphasized that "young people and children make up the majority of the population of the Country (almost 70%)". This is why Religious Institutes operating in South Sudan have their spiritual and human formation at heart.
The letter points out that since December 15, 2013 South Sudan has been devastated by a civil war, which "has caused the death of thousands of our brothers and sisters. In addition to thousands of deaths, we have witnessed terrible material destruction, especially in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity States". The conflict, emphasize the Superiors of Religious Institutes, "has also destroyed social structures, traditional and cultural relations that existed among our communities"
To heal the wounds of the war, the Religious Institutes present in South Sudan have committed themselves to setting up a center in Juba for human and spiritual formation, trauma care and peace-building, called "our humble and prophetic response to the needs of the People of God and of the Church in South Sudan". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 04/02/2015)