Plenary Assembly of Sudan Bishops to Review Achievements, Challenges in Dioceses: Official

Khartoum, 18 October, 2022 / 8:05 PM

Catholic Bishops in Sudan and South Sudan who are convening for their weeklong Plenary Assembly in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum, are to review the achievements and challenges the people of God are facing in the two-nation Dioceses, an official has told ACI Africa.

In a Tuesday, October 18 interview, the Social Communication Coordinator of the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) said the October 19-25 Plenary Assembly will see Catholic Bishops in the two neighboring countries deliberate on approaches to their pastoral ministry among the people of God.

“The Bishops will come together as the (Local) Ordinaries of Dioceses to talk about pastoral issues that they have in their various Dioceses,” Fr. John Gbemboyo told ACI Africa.

He said the SCBC members are expected to deliberate on “the achievements and the progress they have made as well as the situation in their different Dioceses.”

“The Bishops will also be sharing about the challenges faced by Priests in their Parishes like the shortage of Priests, flooding and inter-communal violence, among others,” Fr. Gbemboyo said.

The Catholic Bishops from the two neighboring countries will be interacting among themselves “to know the problems each Bishop faces in his Diocese with regard to the pastoral works, the lives of the people and the services they render to the people under their pastoral care,” the South Sudanese Priest told ACI Africa.

The member of the Clergy of South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) SCBC members will seek some “common understanding” of their Episcopal Ministry and how to further their pastoral service among the people of God under their care. 

“From these issues the Bishops will develop decisions and come up with resolutions that can help them at the Conference level in order to find ways to tackle some of these problems,” the SCBC Social Communication Coordinator said. 

He further said, “For the time being we cannot determine the pressing issues but what we know is that it’s a pastoral planning meeting that the Bishops will be having.”

“The meeting will begin with a day of recollection in which they will pray before beginning with their sessions,” Fr. Gbemboyo told ACI Africa, and added, “Each Bishop will share with his brother the good things that are happening in his Diocese.”

Some of the input from the Bishops will including “how Christians are responding to the pastoral work, the services given to the communities like schools and hospitals on how they are progressing,” he said.

“The plenary will also be a moment for the Bishops to draw up plans for the Secretariat for the next one year,” the South Sudanese Catholic Priest said, adding, “It will also be a moment for the Bishops to produce a document for their pastoral message of encouragement to the people in both nations.”

He appealed for spiritual solidarity with the SCBC members “especially this month of the Holy rosary to make sure the Plenary is successful.”

“We should also pray for their health because they are involved in so many traumatic work and experiences, which we need to support them through prayers,” Fr. Gbemboyo said and added, “When the Bishops succeed in their planning, our communities will also succeed in going forward in faith.”