Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Torit (Agenzia Fides) - "Upon hearing the news of the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to the country, we have appointed a committee of four persons from the Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference (SCBC) to begin the work of preparations, and this committee will also work with a government committee". This is what Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, ordinary of the Archdiocese of Juba said about the preparations of the SSCBC for the Pope's visit (see Fides, 10/3/2022) in South Sudan.
"As a nation and Church, we feel honoured and exulted by the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to South Sudan", said Archbishop Ameyu, who is also the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Torit, South Sudan. "It will be a great moment for all South Sudanese to rally around peace and reconciliation, and we hope the Holy Father will encourage all of us to move the path of dialogue, peace and justice for the consolidation of peace in the country".
"The visit of his Holiness has an ecumenical dimension. Concurrently, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland will also be present during the apostolic visit in South Sudan". The Pope's desire to visit South Sudan matured on the occasion of the meeting held in the Vatican in April 2019, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and the political leaders of South Sudan, during which Francis implored them for peace (see Fides, 12/4/2019).
"We are very happy, and we are looking forward to receiving our Holy Father, Pope Francis, in South Sudan", echoed Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde, of the diocese of Solwezi, in Zambia, President of the Association of Bishops' Conferences of East Africa (AMECEA). "This trip is in some way a fulfillment of his promise as well as a guarantee of his love for the South Sudanese and his commitment to ensuring that peace reigns on earth", he concluded. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 16/3/2022)
