Pope addresses clergy in South Sudan (Vatican Media).

Pope Francis led a morning mass at Saint Theresa Cathedral at Kator and told members of the clergy that there is a need for more generous souls ready to suffer for Africa.

“We need courageous, generous souls ready to die for Africa,” he told bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and lay pastoral workers, according to the Vatican News.

The Pope is Juba for the long-anticipated ecumenical peace pilgrimage, which started with a similar visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In April 2022, the Bishop of Rumbek Catholic Diocese, Fr. Christian Carlassare underscored the challenges facing the church in bringing peace to South Sudan, which is recovering from years of conflict.

Bishop Carlassare went through violence after his appointment to Rumbek, when he was shot and wounded in the legs by gunmen in 2021.

He spent months to recover in a hospital in Nairobi.

“For me, restarting means forgiving because without forgiveness there would be no restarting. Mercy, on the other hand, becomes the ability to establish relationships and rebuild relationships from where they were interrupted,” Father Carlassare said after being discharged.

Meanwhile, the other two eminent faith leaders; the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland attended masses in their respective denominations.

Later in the day, Pope Francis and the faith leaders will meet internally displaced persons at Freedom Hall, before attending mass gathering at Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.