Ten Wonders of Pope Francis in the Life of South Sudan and Sudan People as he Celebrates 10th Anniversary Since he was Elected as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church

Ten Wonders of Pope Francis in the Life of South Sudan and Sudan People as he Celebrates 10^th Anniversary Since he was Elected as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church

By Sr. Henriette Anne

 In March, 13^th 2013 Pope Francis was elected the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and he called upon people to remember him in prayers. This year as he celebrates his 10^th anniversary, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio (CDTY) noted the 10 worders of Pope Francis in the life of South Sudan and Sudan People. He said,

1. Pope Francis from day one of his Pontificate fell in love with South Sudan and never forgot an inch about South Sudan.
2. Pope Francis held South Sudan as the Benjamin of the world countries.
3. Pope Francis in his tenth year has mentioned South Sudan with his lips not less than 248 times, prayed for us all his days of Angelus and public services, he kept South Sudan alive in the waves of the world.
4. Pope Francis in his tenth year has given 6 new Bishops for South Sudan.
5. Pope Francis, among the nations of the world, organized a Spiritual Retreat for political leaders of South Sudan in his Curia at the Vatican
6. Pope Francis of all surprises, KISSED the feet of South Sudan political leaders and commissioned them to work peace for their people.
7. Pope Francis proclaimed the Sudanese Saint St. Josephine Bakhita, the Universal Saint of Hope, and made her Patron saint of human trafficking.
8. Pope Francis in his tenth year donated funds for the flood victims of South Sudan.
9. Pope Francis in his tenth year made the ever-ecumenical journey for peace together with the Anglican Archbishop of England and Moderator of the Church of Scotland, something which has never happened before in the history of the Papacy.
10. Pope Francis in his tenth year has finally touched the soil he has loved in all his pontificate as the last country to mark his tenth year as Pope.

On his Monday, 13^th March statement shared with the Rurugene online newsletter, the prelate thanked Pope Francis for visiting the heart of South Sudan narrating that the scent, voice, memory, feelings, and atmosphere are still fresh with Pope Francis in the heart, mind, and totality of the people of South Sudan.

According to Bishop Eduardo, the visit of Pope Francis to the youngest country and the 8^th country in the continent of Africa to be visited by Pope Francis has made them live with the attitude of Mary Mother of God.

“The Republic of South Sudan is the 8^th country of our African Continent visited by Pope Francis after DRC. We live this moment of grateful memory with the attitude of Mary Mother of God who, in her immaculate heart, ‘pondered’ and knew how to see the action of God who ‘puts down the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly’ even in dramatic events” begins the brief celebration, he explained.

The prelate further noted that they are happy and humbled that amidst turmoil and violence in different continents, CDTY was part of those who were involved in the Apostolic visit of Pope Francis.

“Amidst the national, regional, continental, and worldwide turmoil of violence in all continents, the growing number of local wars, we are glad to witness the humble but powerful moral authority of the successor of St Peter for local, national, and world peace for the last ten years have kept his words. We are happy and humbly proud, that our diocesan family was involved in both apostolic visits in many ways and at different levels”.

He continued, “As a family of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, we led a successful visit to Juba covering over 468 miles with over 300 pilgrims drawn all over the diocese. All faiths, Protestant churches, Muslims, and Catholics who made the majority walked together under the theme: “Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio together with Pope Francis for PEACE”! This was one of the greatest moments I ever enjoyed as well as my faithful mingled up together marching to meet their Good Shepard, Pope Francis”.

Bishop Eduardo termed the visit of Pope Francis for Catholics as a moment to revive their faith and for non – Christians to think about what is Christianity. He added, “Pope Francis has spoken volumes through his empathy, personal interest in the marginalized in society, and for victims of our highly competitive and of times ‘merciless’ society. He has been not talking to Catholics alone but to all South Sudanese and all people of the world. And the way he has been ‘teaching’ has through very loving attention to the people. He has touched the hearts of all.

Reflecting on one of Pope Francis’s Homilies while in South Sudan, (story and vocation of Moses with the people of Israel), the Catholic bishop said, “he is simply calling for missionary hearts who can see their faces, their wounds, their smiles, and their lives and make them experience the merciful balm of God’s love that heals their wounds and pains. Pope Francis challenges us with his consistent call to become missionary disciples and discover and recognize with joy the faces of all around us as one human family”.

Bishop Eduardo opined that the 10 years of Pope Francis’s service is “a summary of his being church for us all in this nation. We are all aware that today our individual houses and all of us have received a great blessing from God which places a seal of grace on the Revitalized Peace Agreement in South Sudan and in Sudan peace and obliging us to work for peace! We recognize that this visit is a priceless gift for our suffering Nation, a unique and unforgettable historical event, and, at the same time, a commitment, a new call that strengthens us in the responsibility to live today with daring and courage, the educational national call to make peace a must and as a response to the emerging challenges to prepare the stable and peaceful future of South Sudan”.

He finally acknowledged that Pope Francis has “sought to heal the division between the believers in the world, the defender of human dignity and a shepherd of God”.