Francis, accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshield, concluded a two-day visit to South Sudan's capital, Juba, Sunday following a three-day stop on the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In South Sudan, Francis met with internally displaced persons (IDPs) and urged authorities to end the violence, work for peace and restore dignity to families displaced by conflict.
Rebecca Nyakor, 13, thanked the Pope for coming to Juba and said she hopes his visit will bring lasting peace to the country.
“Continue to teach us to be friends of Jesus and continue to speak to our people so we can all together in peace. In the name of Jesus, I want to ask you to give special blessings to all the children of South Sudan so we can grow together in peace and love,” she told VOA's South Sudan in Focus.
Speaking through a translator during the meeting with the IDPs, Francis said South Sudanese have suffered for years and it’s time to open a new chapter of peace.
“Although the chapter of recent years has been one of violence, it is possible and indeed necessary to launch a new chapter starting with yourselves. A new chapter of encounter which does not forget past suffering but radiates the joyful life of fraternity. A chapter that does not focus only on reports of tragedy but on an urgent desire for peace. May you one people of different ethnicities write the first pages of this new chapter,” Francis said.
FILE - Pope Francis greets people during the Holy Mass at John Garang Mausoleum, during his apostolic journey, in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 5, 2023.
Around 2 million South Sudanese have been internally displaced following years of conflict.
Theresa Peter Gatkuoth, 31, said the pope’s message gave her hope.
“We hope for more blessings. We hope to come out from where we are staying because water is not good, the food we eat is small and security is not good. We need peace,” Gatkuoth told South Sudan in Focus.
Women in South Sudan face one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Sexual assault perpetrated by armed groups has been widespread, according to the United Nations.
Francis encouraged South Sudanese leaders to respect the rights of women and empower them.
“Women are the key to transforming the country through their industriousness and natural gift of protecting lives. They will have the ability to change the face of South Sudan, to give it a peaceful and cohesive development. I ask you. I ask all the people of this land, to ensure that women are protected, respected, valued and honored,” he said.
The pontiff also asked South Sudanese to pay tribute to humanitarian workers, adding they should not be “targets of assaults.”
The U.N. says 141 humanitarian workers, mostly South Sudanese, have been killed in the country since 2013.