Public Mass in South Sudan Set to Resume in a Week’s Time amid Strict Measures

He told ACI Africa that measures to guide the people of God during public worship in Catholic churches had been drafted and made available.

“Apart from social distancing and wearing masks, signs of peace will be done by waving and receiving the Holy Communion will be by extending the right hand and picking with the left hand,” Fr Peter highlighted some of the measures in the COVID-19 guidelines for Catholic churches in South Sudan.

While some Christian denominations in the country had resumed public worship, Catholic Church leaders decided to adhere to government directives, not having public liturgical celebrations for more than four months.

“The other denominations reopened already but from our side we were a bit reserved to hear from the president,” Fr. Peter told ACI Africa.

South Sudan has reported at least 2,568 cases of COVID-19 including 40 deaths and 1,290 recoveries. 

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During the September 11 interview with ACI Africa, the Secretary General of SCBC invited the people of God in South Sudan to strictly adhere to the safety guidelines announced by the Bishops saying, “My message is that let us keep our eyes open to the guidelines introduced by the Church to avoid COVID-19 not just to lower it down but to fight it to an end.”

Meanwhile, in a bid to foster the adherence to COVID-19 safety measures in the Archdiocese of Juba ahead of the resumption of public worship, members of the Archdiocesan Taskforce on COVID-19 in Juba have planned to visit parishes within the Archdiocese to train officials on the implementation of the safety guidelines, an official told ACI Africa in an interview.

“We have come up with a schedule which will start on Monday, 14^th of September,” the Health Coordinator of the South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat (SSCBS), Dr. Thomas Tongun Leone told ACI Africa September 11 in reference to the planned visits to parishes.

Dr. Leone further said, “We shall visit two parishes, Mary Queen and then St. Kizito Parish. On the 16^th, we shall visit two other parishes, which is Holy Trinity and then Holy Rosary. On 17^th we shall visit St. Joseph and the Cathedral.”

“In all the visits to the parishes, we are going to train the rapid response team with skills of fumigation and disinfection of the Churches,” Dr. Leone who is a member of the Archdiocesan Taskforce on COVID-19 continued.

The members of the COVID-19 taskforce are also expected to educate Christians about the COVID-19 Pandemic.