Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin has traveled to the African continent. On August 14, he arrived in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. He will stay in this country until August 17. On August 15, while celebrating the Holy Mass in Malakala Cathedral, the Cardinal conveyed the Pope’s greetings and affirmed his spiritual closeness to the South Sudanese people.
Francesca Sabatinelli – The Vatican
“The assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven is a sign of comfort and hope, and we must look to her while we are on pilgrimage on earth, while we experience evil, such as what is happening in Ukraine, Sudan and many other countries. South Sudan still has to fight to heal its wounds,” Cardinal Parolin said in his homily at the Holy Mass. He is visiting South Sudan for the third time. Last time, in July 2022, he was here with Pope Francis.
The South Sudanese refugee tragedy is the largest in numbers on the African continent. 2.3 million South Sudanese currently live in the immediate neighboring countries, while another 2.2 million are scattered within the country. South Sudan continues to suffer from the effects of civil war, ongoing ethnic conflicts and, more recently, climate change, which have affected millions of people.
“Here you have endured and experienced first-hand conflicts, tensions, hunger, insecurity, floods, ethnic wars, power struggles and political games,” Cardinal Parolin noted. How long, Lord, will we have to endure this evil? When will peace and security return to our communities? The screams of mothers, grandmothers and innocent people split the sky. How much longer, Lord?” The cardinal commemorated the thousands who had been scattered and pointed to the “great wound of vengeance” that is tearing communities apart.
It was in Malakal, where the Holy Mass was held, that since the beginning of June this year, 13 people have lost their lives in clashes between communities in a refugee camp run by the UN mission in South Sudan, Unimiss. The camp, which is supposed to serve as a place of protection for civilians, was created 10 years ago and was intended for about 12 thousand people, but last December more than 37 thousand lived here.
The Vatican Secretary of State comforted the faithful by reminding them that evil does not have the last word. “The Assumption of the Virgin Mary confirms this to the world. She is a sign of comfort and hope that illuminates the dark shadows of life today,” said Pietro Parolin. He looked back to the Pope’s visit to South Sudan, when the Holy Father invited the scattered persons in Juba to be the seeds of hope, the seeds of the new South Sudan, the seeds of the fruitful growth of this land. The Pope called not to respond with evil for evil, but to choose fraternity and forgiveness, to “cultivate a better tomorrow”, to cooperate and start paths of reconciliation with everyone, because, “regardless of other ethnicity and origin, everyone is and remains our neighbor”.
On August 14, on the first day of his visit to South Sudan, the Vatican Secretary of State met with President Salva Kiir and presented him with the Pope’s message. According to local government sources, Cardinal Parolin and President Kiir discussed a wide range of issues regarding peace and the country’s preparation for general elections next year. Pietro Parolin called on South Sudanese to “embrace the spirit of peace and reconciliation and build a harmonious society in this land”.
A Vatican representative met with the Council of Churches in South Sudan at the Cathedral of Saint Teresa in Juba. It includes Catholics, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Episcopalians. On August 14, the guest also met with the youth and children of different Christian denominations of this land. They planted trees as a gesture of peace, as a symbol of hope and unity for future generations.
Prepared for publication by Inese Steinert
2023-08-15 17:40:33
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