His Holiness Pope Francis arrived in South Sudan for the three-day pilgrimage of peace. He was welcomed by President Salva Kiir and top senior religious leaders in the country.
Thousands of Christians and residents in Juba were line up on the streets, singing welcoming songs and eager to see the Pope for the first.
The Pope’s flight lands in Juba at 2:45 PM with a welcoming ceremony and later drives in a motorcade to the presidential Palace where he will meet government officials and civil society members.
Pope came to the country for a long-awaited “ecumenical pilgrimage” for peace to South Sudan with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, Stephen Ameyu says the visit of Pope Francis would boast implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
Bishop Ameyu tasked South Sudanese and their leaders to utilize Pope Francis’s visit as an eminent tool to build everlasting peace in the country.
“We are now welcoming the holy father we know that his visit is a pilgrimage, he is coming for pilgrimage for peace in South Sudan. I remember some few words that the holy father said when he met our president and his counterpart in the Vatican,” said Ameyu.
The religious leader further stated that the holy father is aware peace is important and couldn’t be found in the Vatican but in the heart of south Sudanese people and political leaders should reconsider the suffering of the citizens
“If we put our hearts together, this peace becomes a reality, we forgive ourselves from the bottom of our hearts and we welcome one another in a very brotherly and sisterly way. That way our people can begin to build a nation.” The prelate adds.
Pope Francis will meet Catholic church leaders, and internally displaced persons at Freedom hall and hold prayers for peace in the country.
Pope Francis has expressed his strong desire to travel to predominantly-Christian South Sudan, but the unstable situation in the country, along with the pandemic, complicated plans for a visit.
In April 2019, the Pope hosted a spiritual retreat in the Vatican for the political leaders and ecclesiastical authorities of South Sudan.