“As the World Celebrates International Day of Peace, We in South Sudan falls in the forefront because we know the bitterness of absence of Peace.” Greetings of Peace from Barani Edwardo Hiiboro, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio

As the world celebrates the international day for Peace, we in South Sudan, fall in the forefront because we know the bitterness of the absence of Peace. Since the birth of this new republic, we the citizens have not known any lasting peace for which God created us.

 For this reason as the world celebrates the International Day for Peace, I want to join humanity, I want to join the Holy Father Pope Francis, in his desire for Peace, in his prayer for Peace and in his work for Peace for the world and more so for us here in South Sudan.

 Dear brothers and Sisters, Peace be with you. May the Peace of God reigns in your hearts and as it reign in your hearts, in your families and in your work places, on the streets and everywhere else, may it may cover the whole nation, the republic of South Sudan.

 This international day of Peace which came way back because conflict engulf humanity from long time ago and as a result, people died in millions, properties destroyed, trust lost, love and growth lost and hope destroyed. As such the world came up and said no, let us stop for a while, let us take stalk of ourselves, let us say that we need Peace; the International Day for Peace was thus born.

 Today I say the same for the whole country of South Sudan, let us stop everything, hold our breath and experience the Peace we need. Let us try to create Peace within ourselves even in the midst of the realities we are facing; of hunger, lack of basic services, of sickness, of isolation, of hate of pain; Let us realize that God knows our plights; He is our creator; let us thus call within ourselves the Peace of God that exists in our heart.

 I would like to make fundamental points in regard to the Peace we need. On this International Day of Peace, the number one thing I call on us to recall is God, He is the creator of all universe and when He created the universe, He made it beautiful for us to inhabit. Therefore we ought to first of all fall in love with God and admire His attention, His heart, His plan, His vision, His dream and His architectural work in creating the world so beautiful. This is the God we adore, this is the God we follow, and therefore we need to develop love for Him.

 The number two thing is that after God created the world so beautifully, he created human beings to inhabit this beautiful world, and he created us in his image. Therefore, whoever you are and wherever you are, you are the image of God in whatever situation. Therefore it is important to be aware of this common denominator that as we are created in the image and likeness of God, that any other human being around you is created in the image and likeness of God.

 The number three thing is that our ethnicity, our tribes, all the people, all the human beings, all individuals who are within the tribe are created in the image of God. Therefore if you love your tribe, love it, cherish it, appreciate it, and adore it. However, falling in love with your tribe and ultimately knowing that your ethnic community is a gift of God to you; you must not lose focus of the fact that you are the Son and daughter of God and above all must pay total allegiance to the God who created.

 Regardless of being members of our different ethnic communities, which we love and cherish, we are all drawn together by the fact that God created all of us in his own image. God your creator is also the creator of everyone, this automatically means that all other human beings are in the image of God and that no tribe is better than other tribes. As a result, you CANNOT in the name of your tribe humiliate another tribe, you CANNOT in the name of your tribe deprive another tribe, and you CANNOT in the name of your tribe make other human beings oppressed. Therefore we are called by this common denominator that God is our creator and all human beings are in His image, therefore all of us are entitled to respect, and all of us are entitled to live together.

 Dear brother and sisters, today on this international day of Peace, we are all called upon to take this opportunity wherever we are, to hold a dialogue with ourselves, to create the Peace that we need within ourselves. And then think ultimately about the same for our family members, for our neighbors, for our communities, our state, and our country.

 And for all of us in the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, I call on all of us today, let us go on our knees and implore God to create His Peace within our hearts so that, when we reach out to any other person, we do so with the strength that we have received from God.

 So I am calling on all of us South Sudanese wherever we are, all the more than 64 ethnic communities of South Sudan, all of us are created in the image of God, let us work on this element that we see in the eyes of everyone we meet out there; this very essence of our humanity, of the fact that we are created in the image of God; let this element unite us.

 We shouldn't think that my tribe is the one to give me; my tribe is the one to take care of me; no; this must stop. In your offices where you are, let it be the sanctuary of God. Whichever ethnic community you are come from, be the diplomat of that ethnic community in your place of work. Whichever tribe I come from, I must demonstrate that I am aware that God created me in his image, and my other brothers and sisters from different ethnic communities are the same, and I have to respect them.

 May God bless all of us, may we continue to pray so that our country may know true peace that God intended for us.

Happy International Peace Day to all of you. Wherever you are, May God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Barani Edwardo Hiiboro,

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio