Pope Francis met with around 2500 refugees who were displaced from the country and asked, with “his heart in his hand”, for collaboration to achieve peace in the African country
On the afternoon of this Saturday, February 4, Pope Francis met with the internally displaced people of South Sudan, people who, due to the devastating situation caused by war and natural disasters, have been forced to leave their homes.
The meeting took place in the so-called “Freedom Hall”, where different refugees told the Holy Father their testimonies and asked some questions about the reason for their situation.
The Successor of Peter lamented that “in this tormented country, being displaced or a refugee has become a normal and collective experience.”
For this reason, he once again called for “an end to all conflict” and asked, “to seriously resume the peace process so that the aggressions end and people can return to live in a dignified manner.”
He reiterated the urgency of peace and justice and assured that “we cannot wait any longer” to change this situation.
The Holy Father also recalled that “at least four million children of this land have been displaced with food insecurity and malnutrition that affect two-thirds of the population.”
Next, Pope Francis defended that ” mothers, and women are the key to transforming the country .”
“If they are given the right opportunities, through their industriousness and life-protecting attitude, they will have the ability to change the face of South Sudan and provide it with a serene and cohesive development,” he said.
Along these lines, he once again asked that “women be protected, respected, valued and honored. Please protect, respect, value and honor every woman, girl, adolescent, youth, adult, mother, and grandmother. If not, there will be no future.”
The Pontiff also highlighted the hope and “heart full of faith” of the displaced, whom he said are “the seed of a new South Sudan.”
He also pointed out that “in South Sudan, young people grow up treasuring the stories of the elderly and, although the narrative of these years was characterized by violence, it is possible, even more so, it is necessary to inaugurate a new one from you: a new narrative of the encounter”.
The Pope also pointed out that “although the conflicts, violence and hated have ripped away the good memories of the first pages of the life of this Republic, it is you who will rewrite the history of peace.”
In addition, he thanked the missionaries, humanitarian and international organizations and the United Nations “for the great work they do.”
For Pope Francis, it is also important “to accompany the population on the path of development, for example, helping them to acquire up-to-date techniques for agriculture and livestock, so as to facilitate more autonomous growth.”
“I ask you all, with my heart in hand: let us help South Sudan, let us not leave its population alone, which has suffered so much and continues to suffer,” said the Holy Father.
Finally, he reminded the many South Sudanese refugees who are outside the country “and all those who cannot return because their territory is occupied.”
“I am close to them and I hope they can once again be protagonists of the future of their land, contributing to its development in a constructive and peaceful way.”
At the end, Pope Francis addressed a special blessing to the children of South Sudan and asked that, with it, “the blessing of so many Christian brothers and sisters in the world reach you, who embrace and encourage you knowing that in you, in his faith, in his inner strength, in his dreams of peace shines all the beauty of the human being”.