A religious leader has called on the governments of South Sudan and the Sudan to award Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako a golden medal for having educated nearly 2 million displaced South Sudanese children during the war.

Cardinal Wako, who is set to retire from active service in the Archdiocese of Khartoum next year, opened more than 100 schools for the displaced children from southern Sudan during the 21-year civil war with Khartoum.

He is currently serving as President of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He will retire next year at the age of 75 according to the Catholic Church Canon Law.

On Saturday, Pope Francis announced the appointment of the Bishop of El-Obeild Diocese, Dr. Michael Didi, as Coadjutor or assistant Bishop to Cardinal Wako, and will succeed him next year as Archbishop.

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tambura-Yambio, Dr. Edwardo Hiiboro Kussala, says Cardinal Wako deserves a national medal from both countries.

“Let us pray for his good health, and let us support him materially or whatever we need to do,” Dr Kussala told Eye Radio, “This is a man we should give the medal, a national medal.”

Cardinal Wako, who hails from Wau, Western Bahr El-Ghazal State, is the first South Sudanese and Sudanese to reach the highest position of the Cardinal.

He was elevated to the position by late Pope, now Saint John Paul the Second, on October 21, 2003 in the Vatican.