Pope Francis has told leaders of South Sudan that peace is possible and urged the country's leaders to seek what unites and overcome what divides.
At the end of a two-day meeting in the Vatican, the pope shocked those present by kneeling and kissing the feet of South Sudan's former warring leaders.
At the end of the two-day meeting in the Vatican, originally proposed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, Pope Francis told South Sudanese leaders to recognize the enormous shared responsibility they hold for the present and future of their country.
Those attending the meeting included South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, vice president and former rebel leader Riek Machar, and three other vice presidents.
The pope called on them to commit themselves to the building of their nation.
The pope said, "People are wearied, exhausted by past conflicts: remember that with war, all is lost! Your people today are yearning for a better future, which can only come about through reconciliation and peace."
The pope said this meeting was "something altogether special and in some sense unique," as it was neither an ordinary bilateral nor diplomatic meeting between the pope and heads of state, nor an ecumenical initiative involving representatives of different Christian communities. Instead, it was a spiritual retreat.
South Sudan's civil war, which broke out in late 2013, has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 4 million South Sudanese from their homes. A peace deal last August has reduced but not stopped the fighting.
One of the South Sudanese religious leaders attending said these were days of intense prayer and deep reflection and of open and frank dialogue and spiritual conversation.
"The leaders leave here renewed and committed to the task of working for peace, striving for reconciliation and seeking justice for the 13 million people, the South Sudanese, whose prayer and hope they all carry."
Pope Francis told them how he learned last September that a peace agreement for the country had been signed and congratulated political leaders for "having chosen the path of dialogue." He urged them to implement what has been agreed on.
The pope expressed his heartfelt hope that hostilities would finally cease, that the armistice would be respected, that political and ethnic divisions would be surmounted, and that there would be a lasting peace for all those citizens who dream of beginning to build the nation.
After his speech at the end of the retreat, Pope Francis kissed the feet of the former warring leaders and told them their people are waiting for their return home, for reconciliation, and a new era of prosperity.
Latest Stories
-
Let’s live peacefully and shame our saboteurs – Savannah executives of NPP, NDC
23 mins -
Reconstruction of Agona-Nkwanta-Tarkwa road 80 per cent complete
30 mins -
Internet penetration: 10.7 million Ghanaians offline – LONDA Report
39 mins -
USC cancels grad ceremony as campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza continue
43 mins -
Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned in New York
50 mins -
US Supreme Court divided on whether Trump can be prosecuted
53 mins -
There’s enough justification for Affirmative Action Bill to be passed – Minka-Premo
55 mins -
Don’t allow people to manipulate you into vaccine hesitancy – Dr Adipa-Adappoe
1 hour -
Suspend implementation of Planting for Food and Jobs 2.0 for 2024 – Stakeholders
1 hour -
Parkinson’s disease no longer confined to the elderly – Public Health Physician, Dr Momodou Cham warns
1 hour -
Persons living with Parkinson’s disease appeal for support as they face stigmatization
1 hour -
36-year-old-trader sentenced for stealing employer’s money
2 hours -
9 signs you’re falling in love with someone who thoroughly enjoys emotional manipulation
2 hours -
Catholic Diocese of Keta Akatsi hosts Parkinson’s support group meeting
2 hours -
Wa Naa appeals to Akufo-Addo to audit state lands in Wa
2 hours