Juba, 23 June, 2022 / 9:55 pm (ACI Africa).
On the day Pope Francis was previously scheduled to arrive in South Sudan alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Jim Wallace, the Vatican Secretary of State is set to land in the country.
In a Thursday, June 23 letter addressed to all Priests, Archbishop Stephen Ameyu says Pietro Cardinal Parolin is expected to celebrate Mass and meet authorities in South Sudan during the July 5-7 visit, dates that coincide with the itinerary of the ecumenical visit that was postponed.
“I have been directed by His Grace Archbishop Stephen Ameyu M. Mulla, Archbishop of Juba to officially announce the Visit of His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State at the Vatican, scheduled to take place Tuesday 5th of July through 7th of July 2022,” the Vicar General of Juba Archdiocese, Fr. Nicholas Kiri says in the June 23 letter.
The Vatican Secretary of State, Fr. Kiri adds, “comes as papal delegate to South Sudan in the days aforementioned.”
“He will celebrate Mass on Thursday 7th of July 2022 at Dr. John Garang's Mausoleum at 10:00am,” Fr. Kiri further says, and continues in reference to Archbishop Ameyu, “I request this official announcement be ever put without fail to wider circulation, beginning with Sunday 26 of June 2022 at all the eighteen parishes and numerous chapels of the Archdiocese of Juba.”