“Ecumenical flavor of unity”: Catholic Bishop in South Sudan ahead of Ecumenical Visit

After the official welcome of the Holy Father in DRC at Ndjili international airport in Kinshasa, a 15-minute welcome ceremony was conducted at the "Palais de la Nation" in Kinshasa as had been outlined in the program and itinerary that the Vatican unveiled.

He is scheduled to meet with DRC authorities, victims of the conflict in the Eastern part of the country and representatives of charitable organizations, celebrate Holy Mass, meet with young people, Catholic Bishops, and selected members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in the Central Africa Province before embarking on the second leg of his two-African-nation trip.

In the January 30 report, the Local Ordinary of CDTY urges the people of God in his Episcopal See to pray for pilgrims traveling to Juba ahead of the three-day ecumenical visit that is scheduled to conclude on Sunday, February 5. 

“We also pray for the 200 pilgrims traveling from our Diocese to receive and pray with Pope Francis in Juba this week,” the 58-year-old Bishop who has been at the helm of CDTY since his Episcopal Ordination in June 2008 says.

Bishop Hiiboro directs all Diocesan institutions “to observe a week of less intensity of work (Meaning holidays) within our institution and administration.”

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“Our Diocese should continue to engage in Triduum prayers for the Holy Father from January 31 – February 5,” he says.

This is the third Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to sub-Saharan Africa. While it is also the third Papal visit to DRC, which is home to Africa's largest Catholic population, the pastoral visit to South Sudan will mark the first-ever Papal trip to the East-Central African nation that gained independence from Sudan in July 2011.

Patrick Juma Wani is a South Sudanese journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. Patrick holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from Makerere Institute for Social Development (MISD) in Uganda. He has over 7 years of extensive experience in leading the development and implementation of media, advocacy, communication and multimedia strategy and operations, with an excellent track record of editorial leadership, budget management, and stakeholder outreach. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.