By: Ginaba Lino
During the Plenary Assembly of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Malakal, Archbishop Patrick Seamus Horgan, the Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan, called on Catholic bishops to remain steadfast as preachers of peace and defenders of the poor amid the violence and instability affecting both nations.
Expressing deep concern over the worsening situation in Upper Nile State and other conflict-affected areas, Archbishop Horgan praised the bishops’ presence in Malakal as a powerful act of solidarity with communities enduring war and displacement.
He urged Church leaders to persist in their mission of peace, reconciliation, and unity, stressing that lasting peace can be achieved only through dialogue, forgiveness, and moral renewal, not through violence.
The Nuncio also extended solidarity to bishops in Sudan, acknowledging the dangers they face while serving communities trapped in war. Recalling his recent visit to the Archdiocese of Khartoum, he appealed for international and regional efforts to end the conflict and to establish humanitarian corridors for those suffering.
Archbishop Horgan reminded the bishops of their sacred duty to stand with the poor and marginalized, emphasizing that the Church fulfills its true calling when it shows compassion and provides both spiritual and material support to those in need.
Quoting Pope Leo XIV, he said the Church must be “the sister of the poor,” warning that spiritual neglect is the greatest form of discrimination against them.
He concluded by encouraging the bishops to draw inspiration from Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, which he said offers timely guidance for the Church’s mission of faith, hope, and service amid hardship.