Author: Ginaba Lino|CRN – The Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, has expressed deep concern over the recent imposition of taxes on Church properties and personnel.
He said the tax policy could undermine the Church’s capacity to serve the poor and carry out its humanitarian mission.
Speaking during the opening of the Bishops’ Plenary Assembly in Malakal Diocese, Cardinal Ameyu, who is also the president of the Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference, said the Church remains committed to dialogue with the government to address what he described as an “unjust fiscal burden” on religious institutions.
“The recent imposition of taxes on Church properties and personnel threatens our capacity to serve the poor,” he said. “The bishops will engage in dialogue with the government, invoking the principle that the Church’s mission must not be hindered by unfair taxation.”
The Cardinal stressed that each bishop bears a responsibility “not to be served, but to serve,” ensuring transparency in the use of Church resources and close collaboration with the secretariat and other commissions within the Bishops’ Conference.
He also reaffirmed the Church’s continued participation in regional ecclesiastical associations, including the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
Through these bodies, the Church works to share resources, advocate for peace, and promote pastoral collaboration across the continent.
Cardinal Ameyu further highlighted the multiple challenges currently confronting the Church and the people of South Sudan, including ongoing conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan, natural disasters in downstream dioceses, and the lingering impacts of the global pandemic.
He said such crises require unity, coordination, and compassion within the Church and society.
“Unless we work together in coordination, we cannot overcome these tragedies,” he urged. “Let us be open to our priests, religious brothers and sisters, and all those who come to South Sudan to offer help, for a good Samaritan comes in the need of his brother and sister.”
In his closing appeal, the Cardinal called on the governments of South Sudan and Sudan to prioritize peace over war, emphasizing that “no one was created for war, all of us were created for peace.”
The five-day plenary assembly brings together bishops from across South Sudan to deliberate on pastoral priorities, formation, and the Church’s response to emerging social and economic challenges facing communities in the region.