The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church is calling for harmony and unity among South Sudanese as the country celebrates Christmas and the New Year holidays.
Primate Justin Badi Arama encourages the public to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with a focus on the importance and power of good and stable families in the country.
“As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this year, our focus should be on the importance and power of good and stable families. Both the church and governments rely on good families in what they do,” he said.
Badi said Christmas is a season to share love with one another and practically demonstrate it to restore hope “in our hopelessness.”
South Sudan is emerging from a prolonged conflict that has displaced about 40 percent of the population internally, and into neighboring countries.
The humanitarian situation in the country has been worsened by four years of flooding that has wiped out livelihoods and confined thousands to displacement camps.
In his Christmas message in Juba Friday afternoon, Bishop Arama called for unity among citizens during Christmas festivities.
“It is my prayer that during this Christmas season, we all present ourselves in ways that please God so that the presence of the newborn savior may be in our families to bring love, harmony, respect, unity, and joy.”
“This will enable us to join the Angels in signing for peace in the world and peace in South Sudan [Luke 2:14]. We wish you all happy Christmas and a peaceful new year, 2023.”