Pope Francis and President Salva Kiir address the nation in Juba. (Photo: Office of the President).

Pope Francis on Friday addressed an audience of government officials, church leaders, diplomats and members of the civil society, saying he has come to the country with a message of peace and reconciliation.

The pontiff started his speech in Italian by thanking President Salva Kiir and the South Sudanese people for the welcome he has received so far.

“I am pleased to be in this country, which has a special place in my heart. I thank you, Mr President,
for your kind words of welcome, and I offer a cordial greeting to each of you, and through you, to all the men and women living in this young and beloved country,” Pope Francis said.

“I have come here as a pilgrim of reconciliation, in the hope of accompanying you on your journey of peace. It is a circuitous journey, yet one that can no longer be postponed.”

“So I have  come with two brothers, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, whom I thank for all that they have just said to us. Together, stretching out our hands, we present ourselves to you and to this people in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.”

It has been a tight schedule for the 86-year-old who bade farewell to a million people in DRC capital Kinshasa early on Friday.

He departed the Ndjili International Airport in Kinshasa, at 10:49 AM Central African Time, and arrived at 3 PM in Juba and was welcomed given by tens of thousands at the airport.

He traveled to the country with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, for the historic visit.

Speaking to government officials and diplomats at the garden of the Presidential Palace, he implored the leaders to end the years of violent conflict in the country.

“We undertook this ecumenical pilgrimage of peace after hearing the plea of an entire people that,
with great dignity, weeps for the violence it endures, its persistent lack of security, its poverty and the
natural disasters that it has experienced,” he said.

“Years of war and conflict seem never to end and, even recently there have been bitter clashes. At the same time, the process of reconciliation seems stagnant and the promise of peace unfulfilled.”

“May this protracted suffering not be in vain; may the patience and the sacrifices of the South Sudanese, this young, humble and courageous people, challenge everyone and, like the seeds sown in the soil that give life to plants, allow peace to blossom and bear fruit.”

The pope said: “In order that this land may not turn into a cemetery, but become once more a luxuriant garden, I beg you, with all my heart, to accept four simple words: not my words, but those of Christ.”

“He himself spoke them in a garden, when, to a disciple of his who had drawn a sword, he cried: “No more of this!” (Lk 22:51). Dear President and Vice-Presidents, in the name of God, of the God to whom we prayed together in Rome, of the God who is gentle and humble in heart.”

“The God in whom so many people of this beloved country believe, now is the time to say “No more
of this”, without “ifs” or “buts”. No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual
recriminations about who is responsible for it, no more leaving your people athirst for peace. No more destruction: it is time to build! Leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn.”

South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013, immediately after independence.

The conflict has killed an estimated hundreds of thousands and triggered one of Africa’s largest refugee crisis, according to reports.

In 2019, during a retreat in the Vatican, Pope Francis took a dramatic act and kissed the feet of President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar and other vice presidents and asked them to end the war.

Corruption

Speaking on Friday, Pope Francis told the South Sudanese leaders to ensure equal sharing of the country’s “abundant” mineral wealth to benefit all its people.

“The cleaning needed by the flow of life in society is represented by the battle against corruption. The
inequitable distribution of funds, secret schemes to get rich, patronage deals, lack of transparency: all these
pollute the riverbed of human society. They divert resources from the very things most needed. ”

The pontiff also emphasized on the need for South Sudan to combat poverty, “which serves as the fertile soil in which hatred, divisions and violence take root.”

“The pressing need of any civilized country is to care for its citizens, especially the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged. Here I think especially of the millions of displaced persons who live here: how many people have had to flee their homes, and now find themselves consigned to the margins of life as a result of conflicts and forced displacement!”