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Pilgrims from DR Congo to Participate in Ecumenical Prayer in Juba, South Sudan

By ACI Africa

Tonj, 02 February, 2023 / 10:45 pm (ACI Africa).

A group of pilgrims from Dorima Dungu Diocese in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are in South Sudan to participate in the ecumenical prayer service to be presided over by Pope Francis, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.

The Congolese pilgrims traveled to Juba on Tuesday, January 31 from the South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY).

In his address as the Congolese pilgrims left his Episcopal See, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala said, “The pilgrims are from Dorima Dungu Diocese in DRC, representatives of different religious denominations … coming to attend the events with us.”

“These pilgrims are close to us and most of them could not attend the event in Kinshasa that’s why we are going with them to Juba,” Bishop Hiiboro said.

Pope Francis is set to arrive in South Sudan on Friday, February 3 for the second leg of his two African nation trip, which began in the capital of DRC, Kinshasa.

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He is to be received at Juba international airport in a welcome ceremony before proceeding to the Presidential Palace for a courtesy visit to the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir.

The 30-min meeting with President Kiir is to be followed by a 45-min meeting with the Vice Presidents of South Sudan at the Juba-based Presidential Palace.

In his last official activity of his first day in South Sudan, Pope Francis is scheduled to engage with authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in the garden of the Presidential Palace.

On Saturday, February 4, Pope Francis is to meet with Bishops, members of the Clergy, women and men Religious, and Seminarians at St. Theresa's Cathedral of Juba Archdiocese.

He is then scheduled to meet privately with Jesuits in South Sudan in the Apostolic Nunciature. 

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The Pope is also expected to visit internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Freedom Hall in Juba.

In the evening, the Holy Father has been scheduled to participate in an ecumenical prayer service alongside Archbishop Welby and Rev. Greenshields at the John Garang Mausoleum. 

The same venue is scheduled to host Holy Mass on the morning of the last day of the ecumenical trip, on Sunday, February 5, to be followed by a farewell ceremony at Juba international airport at midmorning before Pope Francis leaves for Rome.

In his January 31 address, the South Sudanese Bishop shared about the number of Congolese pilgrims.

“We are taking only two hundred people to Juba due to lack of transport,” he said, and added, “The rest will pray here in Yambio when the Holy Father will be presiding over the Mass in Juba.”

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Bishop Hiiboro went on to explained the value of the pilgrimage. He said, “This peace pilgrimage is very important because we are going to pray for peace and stability in our country.”

“We are going to pray with our religious leaders in order to be better equipped with the strength to overcome violence and conflict through engaging in peace with one another,” the Catholic Bishop who has been at the helm of CDTY since his Episcopal Ordination in June 2008 said.

Reflecting on insecurity and divisions in the country, Bishop Hiiboro said, “In our divided and dangerous environment, the visit of the Holy Father will help us overcome all the challenges and hopefully, the peace of Christ will reign in our country.”

He continued, “The religious communities and the interfaith network may have unprecedented opportunity to cooperate with the States and other likeminded partners to bring love and peace in the country.”

The January 31- February 5 pastoral trip to DRC and South Sudan marks Pope Francis’ third visit to sub-Saharan Africa, and the third Papal trip to DRC, which is home to Africa's largest Catholic population.

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The journey will be the first-ever Papal visit to South Sudan that gained independence from Sudan in July 2011.