Prelate in Sudan Says “We are so far doing well as one Conference” With South Sudan

The Sudanese-born Archbishop expressed disappointment over what he termed as political instabilities that he said were resulting to violence and displacements of populations, adding that the protracted violence in the country had destabilized the work of the Church in the country.

“It hasn’t been easy for the Church carrying out its primary role of evangelization with all the violence, the killings and the displacement that was going on,” the 61-year-old Archbishop.

He explained the challenge, “We were mostly caught up in providing care for the victims of violence instead of concentrating on spreading the word of God.”

“Christians, not only Catholics, can play a greater role in bringing peace and harmony wherever they are,” he said, and added, “We are told that we are the salt of the earth and light of the world and we should take that to heart and make it materialize wherever we are.” 

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The Archbishop spoke to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the weeklong SCBC annual Plenary Assembly that kicked off November 9.

Reports and updates from the two Dioceses in Sudan and seven in South Sudan were shared alongside those from the national institutions of the Catholic Church functioning in the two sister countries.

Participants discussed the scrutiny on the preparation for the National Eucharistic Congress in 2021 and also revisited the operation of the Episcopal Commissions and Committees of the General and Regional secretariats of South Sudan and Sudan.

Additionally, a presentation of the draft on Child Safeguarding by the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) was made. Participants also discussed the way to make structures and management of SCBC more effective.   

“The president will announce the major resolutions but I must say that we discussed all important aspects exhaustively,” Archbishop Didi told ACI Africa November 15, choosing not to divulge details of their Plenary Assembly that was concluding the following day.

The Archbishop said he is happy that the people of God in Sudan seem to have embraced brotherhood and are living together in harmony, their different religious affiliations notwithstanding.

He said that people in Sudan would need time to change their view about religion in the Arab country where, for 30 years, the only religion that was believed to be the right one was Islam.