The head of the Catholic church joined other Christian leaders in calling for a re-commitment to the 2018 peace agreement during a trip to Africa.
Pope Francis concluded his apostolic visit to South Sudan with fervent prayers for peace and forgiveness in South Sudan. country ravaged by war.
Francis made the appeal Sunday when he presided over an outdoor Mass attended by 100,000 people in the grounds of the mausoleum of South Sudanese liberation hero John Garang in the capital Juba.
He urged worshipers – including the country’s president and his opponents – to reject “the blind fury of violence”.
Pope Francis also called for an end to tribalism, financial misconduct and accusations of corruption that are at the root of many of the country’s problems, and advised attendees to build “good human relationships.” people as a way to curb the corruption of evil, the disease of division, the filth of fraudulent business dealings, and the scourge of injustice.”
Many in the crowd sang, drummed and cheered as Pope Francis entered the grounds. His lecture was repeatedly interrupted by loud cheers.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I return to Rome with you even closer to my heart,” he said. “Never lose hope. And do not lose the opportunity to build peace. May hope and peace be among you. May hope and peace reign in South Sudan.”
The visit marks the first time in Christian history that leaders of the Catholic, Anglican and Reformed traditions have made a joint foreign tour, with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the Communion Anglicans worldwide, and Iain Greenshields, who presides over the General Assembly of the Churches of Scotland, joined Pope Francis on a “pilgrimage for peace”.
The continental tour also includes a stop in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, home to Africa’s largest Roman Catholic community, where Francis condemned what he called foreign plunder of Africa.
Pope Francis has long shown interest in South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, which split from Sudan in 2011 but quickly turned into a civil war that has killed 400,000 people and displaced millions more. door. In one of the most notable gestures of his pontificate, Francis in 2019 knelt to kiss the feet of the country’s former warring leaders during a meeting at the Vatican.
However, despite the 2018 peace agreement signed by President Salva Kiir, his longtime rival Riek Machar and other opposition groups, violence continues in some parts of the country. Violence in the country’s Equatorial Central state between cattle ranchers and members of an armed group 27 people died on Thursday, the day before the pope arrives.
Meanwhile, some provisions of the agreement, including the creation of a unified national army, have largely remained unfulfilled.
The trip of the three Christian leaders seeks to recommit to the 2018 agreement while highlighting the humanitarian situation in a country of nearly 11 million people, beset by natural disasters and climate change. Poverty is widespread, despite having some of the world’s largest economies. crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa.
Among those attending Sunday Mass was Ferida Modon, 72, who lost three children to conflict.
“I want peace to come to South Sudan. Well, I believe his visit will change the situation. We’re tired of conflict now,” she told Reuters news agency. “We want God to hear our prayers.”
Jesilen Gaba, 42, a widow with four children, said: “The union of the three Churches for the good of South Sudan, this is a turning point for peace. I want the visit to be a blessing for us. We had a war, we lost a lot of people.”
