Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura Yambio Diocese said that the visit of Pope Francis to South Sudan is a “great blessing and a pilgrimage of peace”
Pope Francis to visit South Sudan from 5th-7th of July 2022
Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of Tombura Yambio Diocese said that the visit of Pope Francis to South Sudan is a “great blessing and a pilgrimage of peace”
By Sr. Henriette Anne Owino (FSSA)
With 46 days count down to the journey of Pope Francis to The Republic of South Sudan begins, Bishop Eduardo said that the visit of Pope Francis is a “great blessing and a pilgrimage of peace”. “The visit of Pope Francis is a great blessing for us South Sudanese, is a pilgrimage of peace” the Bishop said.
In his Journey, Pope Francis will be accompanied with his esteemed brothers in Christ the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Jim Wallace the Bishop added that “Let us pray to the Holy Spirit that this visit will help us to live our faith with conviction and to be authentic witnesses by leading a life of integrity, honesty, truth, justice, peace and social commitment, while passing on our faith to peaceful future generations”.
In his statement, Bishop Kussala have invited South Sudanese people and Tombura Yambio Diocese to prepare for this “historical visit through prayer”, I invite the South Sudanese people and those of my diocese of Tombura-Yambio to prepare for this special historical visit, mainly through prayer, so that when Pope Francis is among us, we may welcome him with joy and an open heart, and with unusual kindness”.
In his explanation on what it looks like to have Pope visiting a country, Bishop Hiiboro acknowledged the fact that a number of people are looking into Pope’s visit as a “good thing” despite of the different challenges they are facing as a country.
“The interest is that so many people are taking in this visit as a good thing. It shows that, despite the signs of instability, poverty and continual violence, there is a search for meaning in the hearts of all” he continued that the mission of Pope Francis is “bringing people to him, and through him, to God. Pope Francis draws his strength from the Joy of the Gospel, the ever-new message of Jesus Christ, which reminds us that we are loved by God and are called to care for one another in turn. It is a special moment for all of us to listen to and be inspired by his message, especially as he calls us to respect the true, human dignity of each person, particularly those who are poor, vulnerable and marginalized”.
The prelate underscored that Pope Francis who is expected in South Sudan from 5th -7th of July is the same Pope that in April 11th 2019 in a dramatic gesture Knelt down and kissed the feet of current political leaders, terming this visit as a moment of accountability for South Sudanese, hoping this action will “inspire all South Sudanese to journey peacefully in mutual understanding, genuine respect, and true care for our common humanity”.
“I am asking you as a brother to stay in peace. I am asking you with my heart, let us go forward. There will be many problems but they will not overcome us. Resolve your problems,” Holy Father directly told the political leaders of South Sudan, Bishop said. The 85 year old Holy Father added, “There will be struggles, disagreements among you but keep them within you, inside the office, so to speak, but in front of the people, hold hands united. So, as simple citizens, you will become fathers of the nation”.
Looking into Papal visit history, Bishop Kussala compared the positive outcome of Pope’s visit to different countries, viewing the Holy Father’s visit to South Sudan as a way of strengthening ecumenical culture, “Pope John Paul II first trip to Poland in 1979 was clearly a factor in the political change that led, one decade later, to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe” Bishop noted again that “his visit to Sudan in 1982 brought about relative peace and understanding between the hardliner Islamic government at the time and the Christians, and also raise much awareness to the world about the fate Christians (Southern Sudanese) they were more symbolic in nature. They did bring about a real political dynamic”. Therefore Bishop Hiiboro said that “Pope Francis’ trip to South Sudan is probably going to change the views of South Sudanese and also Catholics, Presbyterians, and Anglicans. They will reinforce greatly the already living Ecumenical culture available”.
He expressed how important Papal visit by pointing out two things that makes his visit very interesting for anyone who wants to understand the world, first, “Pope Francis presents Catholics and non-Catholics alike with the idea that there is another “source” for understanding ourselves and the issues that divide and unite our communities and secondly unity of purpose, essential project of peace, holiness of life Christ’s followers, loving more our nation, the Republic of South Sudan” he said.
Finally he Local Ordinary of the Diocese pointed out that his prayer and hoping that it is the prayer of all those in South Sudan, that this planned ecumenical visit will be a moment of reconciliation, the end of war and the beginning of embracing peace just the same way table turns and peace was experienced when Pope visited Mozambique in 2019.
“My inner prayers which I believe is of several South Sudanese, is that, since most often, Papal travels precipitate historic turns, as in the case of national reconciliation in Mozambique after Francis visited there in 2019, or prompt grand foreign policy moves like the restoration of relations between nations, this visit should reconcile all of us South Sudan, and war be by gone and peace engulf us forever more”.
