Churches in South Sudan over the weekend came together for a joint ecumenical prayer gathering at the Anglican All Saints Cathedral grounds in Juba.
-Fr Mbikoyezu John
Gbemboyo – Juba, South Sudan.
South Sudan’s
Christian leaders brought together various Churches in Juba to pray for the
health of Pope Francis and the now postponed Apostolic visit of Pope Francis.
According to
organisers, the ecumenical prayers were also an occasion for Church leaders to
explain the postponed visit of Pope Francis. It was also an opportunity for the
Church leaders to publicly demonstrate their resolve for unity and solidarity
as they keep hope alive for the Pope’s visit. The leaders took turns encouraging
South Sudanese, especially those who worked tirelessly over the last few months
in preparation for the visit.
What God started in Rome
In his opening
remarks, the General Overseer of Sudan Pentecostal Church (SPC), Dr Isaiah
Majok Dau, told congregants, “I still believe that the three leaders will come
to South Sudan to cement what God started to do in Rome. Don’t give up on hope
no matter what happens because the situation in the country can be changed for
the better,” he said, adding, “Do not lose faith in God.”
Dr Majok
referenced a time when the Sudanese lived together in relative peace and
harmony. He said he remained convinced peace would ultimately return to South
Sudan.
Unity attracts God’s favour
Basing his preaching on the Gospel of John Chapter 17,
Presiding Bishop of the Africa Inland Church (AIC), James Lagos Alexander,
spoke of the “the power of unity” in the Churches. That unity, he emphasised,
needed to be promoted.
Bishop Alexander
stressed that “unity attracts God’s favour and blessing upon us. Unity leads to
greater productivity, and it leads us to sustainability,” he said. Even South
Sudan’s independence, he reminded the congregation, was born from the power of
unity demonstrated during the referendum of 2011.
“We must
accompany our quest for peace with prayers and love of neighbour to open the
doors for South Sudanese to exist as one. When we loved one another, we were
strong. Love and prayer gave us the South Sudan that we have today,” he said.
The Bishop gave antidotes for overcoming disunity. What was tearing the nation apart, he
said, was a spirit of bitterness and a refusal to forgive.
Praying for Pope
Francis
In his concluding
remarks, the Catholic Archbishop of Juba, Stephen Ameyu Martin, underlined that
the “Church and political leaders of South Sudan needed to be lovers of
humanity for the country to prosper.” Archbishop Ameyu reiterated that the
visit of Pope Francis had not been cancelled but postponed. He encouraged South
Sudanese to continue praying for a speedy recovery of the Pope.
South Sudan’s
weekend ecumenical prayer gathering was organised by the Churches’ Steering
Committee for the Apostolic Visit under the auspices of the South Sudan Council
of Churches. The event was also attended by several denominations, politicians
and government officials led by Hon Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin Bil, Chairman of
the High-Level Steering Papal Committee.
The postponed
visit
The historic
ecumenical pilgrimage for peace to South Sudan was to have been undertaken next
month from 5 July to 7 July as a joint visit by Pope Francis, the Anglican
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Moderator of the General Assembly of
the Church of Scotland, Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields.
According to
Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pope’s doctors
requested the postponement.
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