The pope today reiterated the call for peace in South Sudan at a mass in Juba attended by some 70,000 people, encouraging political leaders to lay down the weapons of hatred and vengeance.
“In the name of Jesus, of his beatitudes, let us lay down the weapons of hatred and vengeance”, said Pope Francis, urging political leaders to prevail “the loathing and loathing that has become chronic over time and threatens to pit tribes and ethnicities against each other” and to “sprinkle the salt of forgiveness upon the wounds, which burn but heal”.
At the mass held next to John Garang’s mausoleum, Francis asked to refrain from “answering evil with evil once and for all”, even if “the heart bleeds with injustice”.
Pope Francis was received with songs and expressions of joy by the country’s Catholics, who represent about 36% of South Sudan’s population and are experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis due to war, famine and natural disasters.
On the last day of his pilgrimage to Africa, Francis also asked Catholics to show themselves.people who are able to forge bonds of friendship, to live brotherhood, to build good human relations, to prevent the corruption of evil, to morbidity of divisions, the filth of affairs and the scourge of injustice prevail”.
“Let’s accept each other and love each other sincerely and generously, as God loves us”said the pope in a message that aims to revive hope in the youngest country in the world, and also one of the poorest.
Accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Presbyterian head of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, two key confessors in the country, the pope arrived in South Sudan on Friday after a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Francis is developing an historic ecumenical pilgrimage to draw global attention to the country’s plight and encourage the peace process.
The aim of the ecumenical visit is to encourage South Sudan’s political leaders to negotiate a 2018 peace deal that would end a civil war that erupted after the predominantly Christian country gained independence from Muslim-majority Sudan in 2011.
Upon arrival on Friday, Francis issued a scathing warning to President Salva Kiir and his former rival and now deputy Riek Machar that history will judge them harshly if they continue to delay implementation of the peace deal.
Kiir, for his part, promised the government to return to peace talks – which were suspended last year – with groups that did not sign the 2018 agreement.
On Friday, the head of the Catholic Church granted a presidential pardon to 71 inmates at Juba Central Prison in honor of the ecumenical pilgrimage, including 36 on death row, after Francis insisted the death penalty is inadmissible under any circumstances.
Source: DN
