“Leave war behind and Let the time of peace dawn”, Pope Francis to the Leaders of South Sudan

“Leave war behind and Let the time of peace dawn”, Pope Francis to the Leaders of South Sudan

By Sr. Henriette Anne (FSSA)

Addressing the nation’s Authorities, Civil Society, and Diplomatic Corps at the Presidential Palace of Juba on Friday 3^rd, the Pope appealed to the leaders “no more destruction, it is time to build!  Leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn!

“Dear authorities, those “sons and daughters”, and history itself, will remember you if you work for the benefit of these people that you have been called to serve.  Future generations will either venerate your name or cancel their memory, based on what you now do”.  

He reminded those in authority that they are the spring that waters the life of the community, therefore, you are called to serve, “You, distinguished leaders, are these springs: the springs that water the life of the community, the fathers and mothers of this young country.  You are called to renew the life of society as pure sources of prosperity and peace, so greatly needed for the sons and daughters of South Sudan.  They need fathers, not overlords; they need steady steps towards development, not constant collapses.  May the time that followed the birth of the country, its painful childhood, lead to a peaceful maturity”.

 Pope Francis decried the fact that “years of war and conflict seem never to end and recently, even yesterday, there have been bitter clashes.  At the same time, the process of reconciliation seems stagnant and the promise of peace is unfulfilled.  May this protracted suffering not be in vain; may the patience and the sacrifices of the South Sudanese, this young, humble and courageous people, challenge everyone and, like the seeds sown in the soil that gives life to plants, allow peace to blossom and bear fruit”.

He directly addressed the President and the Vice-President with the words, “Dear President and Vice-Presidents, in the name of God, of the God to whom we prayed together in Rome, of the God who is gentle and humble in heart, the God in whom so many people of this beloved country believe, now is the time to say “No more of this”, without “ifs” or “buts”.  No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it, no more leaving your people athirst for peace”, he said.

He further invited the leaders to see that the purpose of power is to serve the community and to place themselves at the service of others.

“The sources of this country, and the course undertaken by the South Sudanese people on 9 July 2011, call to mind another word: Republic.  Yet what does it mean to be a Republic, a res publica?  It means seeing yourselves as truly “public”, “of the people”; it is to declare that the state belongs to everyone; and consequently, those entrusted with greater responsibilities, presiding over and governing it, have the duty to place themselves at the service of the common good.  That is the purpose of power to serve the community”.

The Holy Father called upon the people of South Sudan to have respect for human life, upheld by law and the application by law, stressing that, “there is no justice without freedom.  Every citizen, therefore, should be enabled to make the most of the unique and unrepeatable gift of his or her life, and be provided with suitable means of doing so”.

In his speech, he called upon South Sudanese to respect one another, to know one another, and to engage in dialogue.

Pope Francis opined that inequitable distribution of funds, secret schemes to get rich, patronage deals, and lack of transparency pollutes the riverbed of human society calling upon the leaders to divert the resources to the things most needed in order to combat poverty.