Transferred Catholic Bishop in South Sudan Cautions against “any spirit of competition or disunity” in Vacant Diocese

The Italian-born member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) cautions the people of God in Rumbek Diocese against entertaining “any spirit of competition or disunity” as they await a Local Ordinary.  

“The Holy See informs us that I remain the Apostolic Administrator of Rumbek. It will not be for a long period. It will only be for the time needed by the Holy See to appoint the new Bishop of Rumbek,” Bishop Carlassare, who has been at helm of Rumbek Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in March 2022 says.

Credit: Catholic Diocese of Rumbek

Therefore, he emphasizes, “I ask all faithful, priests and religious to accompany the process in prayer, avoiding any spirit of competition or disunity, fostering a positive environment of discernment and cooperation, and allowing the Spirit of God to work in us.”

Before Pope Francis appointed him Bishop, the Diocese of Rumbek had remained vacant since July 2011 following the sudden death of the then Local Ordinary, Bishop Caesar Mazzolari.

After the passing on of the Italian-born MCCJ member on 16 July 2011, his confrere and compatriot, Fr. Fernando Colombo, governed Rumbek Diocese as Diocesan Administrator until 27 December 2013, when Fernando Cardinal Filoni, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, appointed Fr. John Mathiang Diocesan Coordinator.

Late Bishop Caesar Mazzolari of South Sudan's Rumbek Diocese who died on 16 July 2011. Credit: Diocese of Rumbek

The 8 March 2021 Episcopal appointment of Mons. Carlassare was followed by the life-threatening episode of his being shot in both legs on 26 April 2021, some 11 days after arriving in Rumbek Diocese. He had been ministering in South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Malakal since his arrival in the country in 2005.

Pope Francis appointed Bishop Matthew Remijio of South Sudan’s Wau Diocese as Apostolic Administrator of Rumbek on 5 May 2021, officially ending the leadership of Fr. Mathiang, one of the suspects in the case of the shooting of Bishop-elect Carlassare.

During the court hearings in the case that was first mentioned on 26 January 2022, a witness and one of the suspects said the plot to shoot the Italian-born MCCJ member was based on racism and xenophobic sentiments, and that a native Clergy would have been a preferred candidate.

Alongside four other suspects, Fr. Mathiang was convicted and sentenced for seven years in a 25 April 2022 High Court ruling. Later, South Sudan’s Court of Appeal reconfirmed the High Court ruling and doubled Fr. Mathiang’s jail term to 14 years. However, in a March 15 order, South Sudan’s Supreme Court “quashed” all charges against him. On April 9, the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization reconfirmed that it had issued an interdict and suspension against the member of the Clergy of Rumbek Diocese.

  Fr. John Mathiang. Credit: Ginaba Lino/Juba/South Sudan

In his July 3 letter, Bishop Carlassare shares the challenges he foresees as Apostolic Administrator of Rumbek Diocese in addition to overseeing the establishment of the newly erected Catholic Diocese.

“As far as I know, I don’t have the gift of bi-location. It means that I will not be able to be in Bentiu and in Rumbek at the same time,” he says. 

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“After I take possession of Bentiu, I will still come to Rumbek. We shall also use all means to do what is to be done. But it will not be easy for me as I can’t stretch out beyond what is humanly possible,” Bishop Carlassare adds.

He calls upon the people of God in Rumbek, including the College of Consultors and his newly appointed Vicar General, Fr. John Malou Beny, to fulfil their respective responsibilities with commitment.

Bishop Christian Carlassare with the newly appointed Vicar General, Fr. John Malou Beny. Credit: Catholic RDiocese of Rumbek

“Therefore, I count on the commitment of each one of you: the members of the college of consultors, Fr. John Malou as we gave him a coordination role, all priests, religious men and women, lay people holding responsibilities in the Curia and the departments; each one has his/her own responsibility to be fulfilled,” Bishop Carlassare says.

In his July 3 letter in which he expresses how hard it is for him to leave Rumbek Diocese, the 46-year-old MCCJ member has appealed for prayers as he embarks on his new mission in one of the most difficult places in South Sudan, where about 90 percent of the population has reportedly been displaced by floods. Bentiu also hosts one of South Sudan’s biggest refugee camps for people who suffer from traumas from the country’s past wars, as well as children who suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

On his second Episcopal anniversary earlier this year, Bishop Carlassare reflected on “The Pact of Catacombs”, a November 1965 document that a section of Catholic Bishops participating in the Second Vatican Council signed to express their personal commitments to the ideals of the Council.

Bishop Christian Carlassare of South Sudan's Rumbek Diocese. Credit: ACI Africa

In his homily during the March 25 celebration, he highlighted the 13 commitments of the Bishop signatories, lauding their particular focus on evangelical poverty and a simple lifestyle. Last year, during his first Episcopal Anniversary, he presided over the consecration of Rumbek Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.