I was ‘almost trembling’ as Pope Francis begged me to make peace

In a surprising gesture, Pope Francis knelt and kissed the feet of several South Sudanese leaders in a plea for peace in the country.

During the two-day retreat at the Vatican, Pope Francis told South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar that he was praying for them to become peacemakers despite difficulties.

Kiir said the exchange left him “almost trembling.”

“I felt humbled at the humility of the Holy Father,” Kiir said in an interview. “I was almost trembling because that thing has not happened before, except at the time when Jesus knelt down to wash the feet of his disciples. And it should have been the opposite; his disciples should have been the ones to wash his feet. This is what came into my mind when the Pope knelt down.”

“The feelings that I had at the moment was that I should try my best when I come back to South Sudan. I should try my best to bring peace to my people, so that people reconcile among themselves, and people do not think of fighting again,” Kiir said.

A five-year civil war began shortly after South Sudan gained independence from Sudan. The war has left 2.1 million people internally displaced, with another 2.5 million refugees, according to the United Nations.

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Bringing hope to abused women in South Sudan

The Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary were founded three decades ago in southern Sudan. But to most who know them, they are called the “Blue Sisters” for the bright color of their habits.

In the South Sudanese Diocese of Tombura Yambio, Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala tasked them with providing permanent assistance to the many women, including young girls and teenagers, who have been raped, abused or abandoned amid the violent conflicts that have plagued the region for years.

“There is a major stigma that falls over these mostly young women who are victims of the violent civil war,” said Sister Ester, local superior for the small community of the four Blue Sisters. “Several of the women remain in a state of shock, barely aware of their reality.”

The sisters currently help around 100 women living in the facility with recovery from the terrible suffering they have endured, through love, patience, prayer and therapy. Although the civil war has significantly decreased in Yambio, the shelter still welcomes abused women every day.

“Thanks to the significant financial help of the Sudan Relief Fund, we are a few months away from finishing a brand new facility, where the sisters, our experts, and volunteers will be able to provide the best treatment possible to our women,” added Sister Ester.

“Our goal is to gradually integrate these women into society with the adequate spiritual and mental stability, and with a clear plan for their future.”

The sisters also help women cope with AIDS, and others to raise their children, many of whom were conceived in rape. According to Sister Ester, “the connection with their children, surprisingly, is a significant part of the healing process, and not part of the trauma, as some tend to believe.”

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Pope says Sri Lanka attacks are “cruel violence” and pledged solidarity

Pope Francis has described the Easter Sunday attacks on churches in Sri Lanka as acts of “cruel violence” and has pledged his solidarity with the country’s Christian community.

During an Easter Sunday, Urbi et Orbi address – “to the City and to the World” – Francis responded to the wave of violence that was waged against churches and some hotels across the island nation, killing more than 150 people.

“I wish to express my close affection to the Christian community, struck while it was gathered in prayer, and to all the victims of such cruel violence,” he told a crowd of thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square.

He addressed the Easter message to South Sudan, where thousands have been killed in a brutal civil war and millions have been left starving.

“May the Risen Lord accompany the efforts of the civil and religious authorities of South Sudan, sustained by the fruits of the spiritual retreat held several days ago here in the Vatican. May a new page open in the history of that country, in which all political, social and religious components actively commit themselves to the pursuit of the common good and the reconciliation of the nation,” the Pope said.

His words came after he hosted a retreat for South Sudanese leaders at the end of which he made a dramatic appeal for them to continue their peace efforts by kissing their feet.

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Documentary Director of Sudanese Civil War Dies at 46

Andrew Berends, the director behind the documentary film “Madina’s Dream” has died. Berends spent his career making films that illuminated underreported aspects of various international conflicts, particularly in Africa.

In 2015, his film “Madina’s Dream” gave a potent look inside the Sudanese civil war as well as refugees fighting to survive in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains. The film highlighted the story of a young girl who dreams of a brighter future for the Nuban people.

Prior to the premiere of “Madina’s Dream” at the SXSW Film Festival, Berends wrote: “I want the SXSW audience to be saddened and outraged by what’s happening in the Nuba Mountains. I want people to be uplifted by the magic of the region, and the spirit and beauty of girls like Madina. I want them to leave the theater with the awareness that the war is continuing with children under threat at this very moment.”

The Sudan Relief Fund is incredibly saddened by the news of Berends’ passing. He was not only a brave and talented filmmaker, but an important activist who brought awareness to this forgotten land. We thank him for his excellent work, and we encourage you to watch Berends’ remarkable films.

Watch “Madina’s Dream” trailer: https://vimeo.com/114095130

Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury to Host Retreat for South Sudan’s Leaders

South Sudan President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar will be guests of the head of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion in the Vatican, where they’ll take part in an ecumenical retreat on April 10-11 in an effort to help implement the country’s peace deal.

For the 400,000 people who’ve died in the conflict, their handshake will come too late. But for Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, those deaths justify deploying all political and religious credibility to make this peace agreement stick, unlike more than one dozen previous agreements

Francis and Welby have been planning an ecumenical trip to South Sudan for years, but the conflict so far has prevented it.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, recently told journalists that there’s “cautious optimism” about the pontiff visiting in the near future.

“It will be a moment of spirituality and, above all, it will help make them aware of the responsibility that politicians and authorities have,” Parolin said.

A statement released by the Vatican defines the retreat as an event “both ecumenical and diplomatic.” The goal, it said, is to offer “a propitious occasion for reflection and prayer, as well as an occasion for encounter and reconciliation, in a spirit of respect and trust, to those who in this moment have the mission and the responsibility to work for a future of peace and prosperity for the South Sudanese people.”

Though neither Francis nor Welby will deliver meditations, both are expected to be on hand, and the pontiff will close the retreat with a speech in the afternoon.

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Sister Orla Treacy

Principal at the Loreto Rumbek Primary and Secondary School

Born in Bray, Ireland, Sister Orla Treacy joined the congregation of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM), known as the Loreto Sisters, after studying to become a teacher of religion. Sr. Orla started her mission in South Sudan after being touched by the plight of girls who were being forced into early marriage and denied the right to an education.

In 2006, the Irish nun became a Sudan Relief Fund partner after starting a girls-only boarding school in Rumbek, South Sudan. The funding she receives supports food programs and provides students with meals so they can receive proper nutrition. Today, Sr. Orla serves as Principal at the Loreto Rumbek Primary and Secondary School for at risk girls who would otherwise be out of reach.

Sr. Orla is a recipient of the 2019 U.S. State Department International Women of Courage Awards, which recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerments, often at a great personal risk and sacrifice.

Despite the devastating consequences of war in Rumbek, and the many barriers to girls in the community, Sr. Orla remains filled with hope, and the Loreto Schools stand as a beacon of light for future South Sudanese generations.

Sister Orla Treacy Q&A with Global Sisters Report

How many students attend the senior and primary schools in Rumbek, and what are the challenges for the schools?

Today, we have 500 boys and girls in our primary school. We could have 1,000 if we had room.

The secondary school now has 200 girls from different tribes and clans from all over South Sudan.

A big challenge is finding qualified teachers. Most qualified teachers do not find it easy to stay in teaching, as the NGOs and U.N. organizations are offering more attractive salaries.

Finance is also a big challenge for us. Parents struggle to contribute to their children’s education, and teachers struggle to survive on a low salary.

As a girls’ secondary school, we are constantly challenged with the issue of forced marriage. We now ask parents to sign a contract with the school allowing the girl to remain for four years of secondary school. Unfortunately, in our Dinka culture, the uncle may be the one with the power over the girl, so the parents are often helpless.

Has the conflict, which erupted in December 2013, affected Rumbek and the Loreto schools?

Thankfully, Rumbek has been relatively secure over the past few years. There are more arms available, and most of our young men have guns. Like most organizations, we have had to employ additional security guards, particularly at night. But thankfully, we have been able to open school every day and even continue our building.

But there is a lot of insecurity on the roads. That means that students who come to study with us from far away don’t find it easy to go home. Many of the girls prefer to stay in the school compound during school holidays and just travel home for the longer holidays at Christmas each year.

The ordinary people are tired of the fighting. They want peace, progress, development.

What are the challenges?

We never have enough places for the girls who want to come to the school. In 2016, we had 190 girls looking to come to the school, and we could only welcome 60 girls. This is always a challenge. We try to select girls from all communities and hope that they will be able to work as ambassadors.

What keeps you in South Sudan?

After 10 years, I like to think South Sudan is my home. To be part of building something is really wonderful. Most of our students are the first in their families to be educated. Students want to learn, and to be able to facilitate that is great.

As a missionary, every fiber of my being is challenged in South Sudan. It really is a great place. Beliefs and attitudes I had from Europe have all been challenged in one way or other, and I am constantly amazed.

Read the full interview here.

South Sudan bishops: Peace deal not working, here’s how to fix it

South Sudan’s peace deal is fatally flawed, the country’s bishops said as they committed the church to helping forge new negotiations. They also recommended a series of measures to end the conflict.

While South Sudan’s main warring parties signed a deal in September to end the five-year civil war that killed almost 400,000 people and displaced millions, the situation on the ground shows that it is “not addressing the root causes of the conflicts” in the country, South Sudan bishops said.

More than 1.5 million people in South Sudan are on the brink of starvation and more than 6 million people, half the population, face extreme hunger, according to the United Nations.

Among measures to improve the situation, South Sudan President Salva Kiir “should constructively engage all stakeholders” to ensure that each signatory to the peace deal does what it agreed to do, the bishops said. The state of emergency should be lifted to ensure freedom of speech and other democratic rights, and all political detainees and prisoners of war must be released, they said.

As well as publicizing violations of the peace deal and holding those responsible accountable, the parties should draw lessons from past mistakes and “develop early warning mechanisms to avoid the triggers” that led to the civil war.  Appropriate justice mechanisms should be put in place, and the deployment of troops from neighboring countries subjected “to the highest levels of scrutiny.”

National dialogue must be “genuine and inclusive,” with traditional South Sudanese conflict resolution mechanisms and intertribal dialogue practices “used to deepen understanding and contribute to the full implementation of the agreement.”

 The bishops said all these measures, “if properly implemented, will create a conducive political, social and economic environment” for the people of South Sudan “to enjoy the dividends of peace.”

 Read the rest here.