Father Christian Carlassare in a hospital bed in Rumbek on Monday, April 26, 2021 | Credit | Courtesy

The Bishop-elect of Rumbek Catholic Diocese is recovering from gunshot wounds after armed men attacked him in Rumbek town of LakesState on Sunday night.

Fr. Christian Carlassare was shot at his residence at midnight by unidentified assailants.

He was shot in the leg – just below the knees. The motive behind the attack is unclear.

“I tried to speak to them, but they cocked the gun and shot me in the leg. And then they loitered around and later fled,” Fr. Carlassare Told Eye Radio.

“They were not here to steal or kill me because they would have killed me easily.”

He stated that his condition has stabilized.

Fr. Carlassare first came to South Sudan in 2005 and served as a pastor.

He was also the Vice Provincial for the Comboni Missionaries in South Sudan from 2017 to 2019, and from 2020 he served as vicar general of the Diocese of Malakal.

Fr. Carlassare said that he holds no grudges against anyone.

He offered forgiveness to his attackers and called for kindness in Lakes state.

“I know that the people are suffering more than me at this moment for what happened. Rumbek deserves much better than this. So I forgive with all my heart anyone who did this action or perpetuate it,” he added.

Fr. Carlassare is an Italian Comboni priest who was elected on March 8, 2021 as the bishop of the Diocese of Rumbek.

For 10 years, the diocese had no Bishop.