AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN - Bishops thank the Pope "for his affectionate support to South Sudan"

Friday, 30 June 2017 hunger   migrants   displaced persons   social situation   pope francis   missionary institutes  

Acs

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - "In my name, as President of the Catholic Bishops 'Conference of Sudan (SCBC) and in the name of my Bishops of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sudan, I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Holiness Pope Francis for his affectionate support to South Sudan". This is what His Exc. Mgr. Edward Hiiboro Kussala, Bishop of Tombura-Yambio and President of the SCBC, wrote in a letter sent to the Holy Father to thank him for his support for the war-torn country.
On June 21, Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, had announced that "since the Holy Father is unable to travel to South Sudan personally, he wanted to make tangible the Church’s presence and closeness to the afflicted people through this initiative, “The Pope for South Sudan”. It is an initiative that aims to foster, support and encourage the work of the various religious congregations and international aid organizations that are present in the territory and which work tirelessly to help the population and to promote the process of development and peace".
The President of the SCBC in his letter, sent to Fides also writes: "since the Holy Father is unable to travel to South Sudan personally, his solidarity and commitment to the country was felt through generous support and donation to the country.
This donation will be very helpful in providing food aid to displaced persons in refugee camps, to create a broad awareness of peace building and to promote the dignity of the marginalized in order to achieve sustainable development and peace".
Mgr. Kussala recalls that South Sudan has faced numerous challenges since its independence: many people have lost their lives, many are displaced, most of whom seek refuge in neighboring countries, political instability prevents the development of the country. "The Church proclaims the sacredness of life and the dignity of the human person as the foundation of a morality and a vision of society", he states. We, as Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sudan, are firmly committed to promoting the principle of the common good as the value of human life and to alleviating human suffering caused by various calamities (violence, famine, drought, unequal distribution of resources, political instability, insecurity…)".
The Bishop thanks the Holy Father for his numerous signs of attention shown in the past to South Sudan, is honored to receive the financial support of $500,000 USD, assures closeness in prayer and is confident that, the Pope's visit to the African country will soon be reconsidered. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 30/6/2017)


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