South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Remembers Day Pope Francis Kissed his Feet in Heartfelt Tribute

At the retreat, Pope Francis encouraged the South Sudanese leaders to “seek what unites you, beginning with the fact that you belong to one and the same people, and to overcome all that divides you”. He told them he was praying for them to become peacemakers, who “build peace through dialogue, negotiation, and forgiveness.”

Later reflecting on the encounter in an interview with  the Catholic News Agency (CNA), President Kiir said that Pope Francis’ gesture left him “almost trembling.” He said the moment when the Pope displayed such humility was inspiring to him as a Catholic and as the leader of a country.

“I felt humbled at the humility of the Holy Father, to bend down on the ground and kiss my feet,” President Kiir told CNA in an interview on 7 May 2019.

“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,” the South Sudanese President said, and added, “This is what came into my mind when the Pope knelt down.”

South Sudan is experiencing renewed conflict between the South Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) and the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) following the arrest of political leaders, including Dr. Machar.

Since the signing of the September 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in Addis Ababa, peace in South Sudan has been fragile. Despite the agreement, tensions between SSPDF and SPLA-IO have reportedly persisted, fuelled by political rivalries, politics of succession, ethnic divisions, and delays in the full implementation of the peace deal. 

The situation worsened in early 2025, when renewed clashes erupted between the two factions, leading to widespread displacement and casualties.

The reported arrest of the first Vice President, Dr. Machar, which followed the arrest of other leaders in the opposition, escalated tensions in the world’s youngest nation, raising fears of a return to large-scale conflict.

During his recent hospitalization, Pope Francis expressed his grief over the protracted violence in South Sudan. Relaying the late Pope Francis’ closeness with the people of God in South Sudan, the Apostolic Nuncio in the country, Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan, challenged South Sudanese to become a source of consolation for Pope Francis by “embracing a definitive and enduring peace”.

In his April 21 tribute, President Kiir reflected on Pope Francis’ peace pilgrimage in South Sudan in February 2023, when he became the first Pontiff to visit the troubled country.

He said that Pope Francis’ visit was “courageous and renewed the hope of South Sudan.”

The visit, President Kiir said, “came at a time when the world had every doubt about our zeal for peace and our determination to chart a course for our country.”

On 3 February 2023, the first day of his peace pilgrimage in South Sudan, Pope Francis begged the leaders of the East-Central African nation to work together to put an end to violence in their country.

“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,’ we say no more, without ‘ifs’ or ‘buts,’” Pope Francis said in his address to President Kiir and the country’s other political leaders in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan.  

“No more bloodshed,” Pope Francis implored, adding, “No more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it; no more leaving your people a thirst for peace.”

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“No more destruction: It is time to build! Leave the time of war behind and let a time of peace dawn!” he said, and added, “Years of war and conflict seem never to end and, even recently, there have been bitter clashes.”

President Kiir said that Pope Francis would be remembered by the South Sudanese as a beacon of hope, and the epitome of compassion, and unity. “His efforts to promote peace in our country have left an indelible mark in the history of our country,” he said.

The President of South Sudan expressed a firm belief that with Pope Francis’ closeness and prayers, South Sudan would achieve the peace it longs for.

“His Holiness’ prayers and encouragement sustained our determination to continue with implementation of the peace agreement despite the challenges. He did not stop at that; he would always reach out and remind us of the importance of peace whenever we deviated,” President Kiir recalled. 

He added, “South Sudanese across the divide will forever miss the Holy Father and remember His love for South Sudan.”

The South Sudanese President, a Catholic himself, appealed for prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. 

“Fellow Catholic faithful of South Sudan, today we have lost a true and humble servant of God, a man who held South Sudan dear to His heart,” President Kiir said in his April 21 tribute, and added, “May I ask us to pray for His Holiness, for the Lord to receive His soul into eternal peace and to extend our sympathies to the Christians around the world.