The Catholic Bishops Conference in Sudan and South Sudan has announced that Retired Bishop Paride Taban died of illness on November 1, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya.
The statement Bishop Conference shared indicated that Bishop Taban has been unwell for some time and the Good Shepherd called him on the Solemnity of All the Saints. The news was sudden to the Catholic family this afternoon.
Tributes and condolence messages purring on social media while several Facebook pages changed with Late Bishop pictures
South Sudan Council of Church (SSCC) ’s Secretary General, Fr. James Oyet said the passing of his Lordship Emeritus Bishop Paride Taban is a great loss for the Church and the country.
“On behalf of the Secretary-General Fr. James Oyet extend his heartfelt condolences to the family of bishop Paride and the entire Christian denomination across the country for the unfortunate demise of the most important figure in the history of the country,” the SSCC stated.
Bishop Taban was described as embodying excellence and was a figure of peace during the struggles and beyond.
He died a day the Church is remembering All Saints Day, a day of obligation throughout the Holy Roman Empire in 835, by a decree of Emperor Louis the Pious, issued “at the instance of Pope Gregory IV and with the assent of all the bishops”, which confirmed its celebration on 1 November.
Bishop Taban is highly respected for his peace activism in South Sudan and beyond that he founded Kuron Peace Village in 2005 to unite the people and set an example of peaceful cohabitation.
Kuron Peace Village is situated in Eastern Equatoria State, on the southeast border of South Sudan with different ethnic groups living and working together in the village.
The Late Bishop was ordained on 24 May 1964 and consecrated a Bishop in 1980 by Pope John Paul II. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of Juba in the year of his ordination and was appointed the first Bishop of Torit from 1983 until 2004.
Bishop Paride won the Vieira de Mello Peace Prize presented to him by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in 2013 for his peace effort in South Sudan. In 2014, he headed the peace mediation process between the government and COBRA faction armed group led by David Yau Yau.
President Salva Kiir appointed him as Co-chair of the Steering Committee of National Dialogue in 2016.