“Our strength”: Catechists Sustain Church in South Sudan Where One Priest Serves Over 100,000 Catholics
He said that the Church’s pastoral agents are busy, day after day, organizing the people pastorally to pray, so that they remain strong. “We feel the impact of this work in our celebrations. We feel that on Sundays, when people come in large numbers to pray,” he said.
According to Bishop Hiiboro, the Church’s ministry in South Sudan is “a ministry of presence.”
“We always seek to be present among our people, especially young ones who are confronted with many challenges related to economic hardship,” the South Sudanese Church leader said.
He said that every pastoral agent in South Sudan is a peace builder.
“I believe there’s nothing we can do better than peace-building,” he said, admitting the frustration that comes with peace-building efforts that seem not to bear fruits.
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“I must admit it can be frustrating to talk about peace, reconcile people, preach peace, pray for it, yet still see people fighting. You still see people killing each other. You still see people disunited, with huge mistrust. And then you can tend to say, is this worth doing? I am not seeing the fruit. Yet indeed there are fruits,” Bishop Hiiboro said.
He continued, “There are still people who are trying to live in peace. There are still people who can forgive. There are still people who can let go. And there are people who are still trying to push for unity, even when it’s not there.”
South Sudan’s pastoral challenges are tied to the reality of being the world’s youngest nation weighed down by years of political instability.
Bishop Hiiboro told ACI Africa South Sudan is still building the structures needed to hold the country together.
“We are building structures such as the institution of law, the economy, proper leadership, the governors, all the elements that can hold the country together. Most of our structures are not very strong yet, and that gives a chance for people to commit crime knowing that they will not be held accountable,” he said.
The South Sudanese Catholic Bishop added that those who seek justice in South Sudan are not provided that because the country does not have strong relevant legal structures.
Despite the country’s ongoing challenges, including widespread hunger, unemployment, and food insecurity, Bishop Hiiboro said South Sudanese remain proud of their independence and have no regrets about becoming a sovereign nation.
He described South Sudan as “a baby born” that is still learning to crawl, expressing confidence that “one day, one time, we will wake up” as the world’s youngest nation continues its journey toward stability and development.
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya’s Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.