“Give me information about my Priest; give him back to me”: Catholic Bishop Pleads with South Sudanese Authorities

Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of CDTY. Credit: CDTY

“I have come here on behalf of your brothers and sisters in the whole Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, on behalf of your family members, because of the conflicts,” he said, and added, “I have also come on behalf of the people of South Sudan who care and love you and who are not able to be here; I have come on their behalf including the people of God around the world; I have come to tell you people of Tombura that you are not left alone to yourself to suffer and die”.

Bishop Hiiboro condoled with families that have lost members in the violent conflicts in Tombura County, saying, “My sincere condolences, my sincere sympathy for all our brothers and sisters who passed on bringing this confession in Tombura; sympathy for the loss of properties, sympathy for the state in which you live in camps, under plastic sheets.”

Credit: CDTY

He expressed his anxiety over “those who have been abducted against their will among whom is my beloved priest (Fr. Luke) and ... his driver Michael Mbeko. I pray for his safety.”

“I have come here, where he was working to feel true that Fr. Luke is no more here with us; he’s not among us here,” the Local Ordinary of CDTY said in his May 19 homily, adding, “I can see tears in your eyes and many of you when I was shaking your hands you were just crying and the cry showed me everything and especially the absence of Fr. Luke”.

Credit: CDTY

Turning his attention to South Sudanese authorities, he pleaded, “I ask you, give me information about my Priest; I need my Priest; Give him back to me, please.”

Bishop Hiiboro went on to plead with ordinary people, who may have information on the whereabouts of Fr. Luke. He said, “Women are good in information; give it to me. You can send it to my phone number. I don't need your name. I just need the information.”

Credit: CDTY

“When I highlight the name of Father Luke, I don't disregardother children. There are moms here who have lost their children. There are fathers here who have lost their sons and daughters; brothers and sisters have lost members of their family. All of us together are crying. We need them back and we ask God to help us,” he further said in his homily on Pentecost Sunday.

The Catholic Church leader, who has been at the helm of CDTY since his Episcopal Consecration in June 2008 went on to draw parallels between the ongoing challenges of the people of God in his Episcopal See and the Apostles as at Pentecost Day.

Credit: CDTY

He said, “Brothers and sisters, here in Tombura, I'm aware of what you have gone through. Just like the Apostles, who were locked up in the room due to fear, you have been locked up into that particular kind of room, the room of frustration.”

“May all of us today receive the Holy Spirit; may the noise that can be made by your commitment to peace be heard all over South Sudan, that there's something sounding new in Tombura; not the sound of gun, but the sound of reconciliation, the sound of peace, the sound of harmony, the sound of forgiveness,” he further said.

(Story continues below)

Credit: CDTY

Bishop Hiiboro continued,“I’m here with you to celebrate the feast of  Pentecost and this feast is so meaningful for you in Tombura; extremely meaningful. We are celebrating today the birth of the church.”

He called upon the people of God under his pastoral care to look to the hope that Jesus Christ brought to his followers, who he said were “in that desperate room, in that hopeless room and in that confused room and in that worrisome room. He stood there, the crucified one, and told his Apostles, peace be with you, peace.”

Credit: CDTY

The South Sudanese Catholic Bishop highlighted the innocence of ordinary people, who he said are bearing the brunt of the violence in his Episcopal See.

“I know those of you who are listening to me here, you are not part of this problem; you are actually the victims.  The people who are designing these shameful activities are not here. There is no factory of guns in Tombura; and I know you are so poor that you have no money to buy bullets.  Those guns and bullets are coming from evil people to kill you; your blood will go up on them,” he said.

Credit: CDTY

Recalling the words of Jesus Christ on the cross, Bishop Hiiboro appealed for the practice of forgiveness for “these people do not know what they are doing.”

He recognized with appreciation efforts being undertaken to address the security challenge in Tombura County and urged the people of God in his Episcopal See to cooperate with the government, particularly in the ongoing civilian disarmament exercise.

“I had appealed to the president to declare a state of emergency in the entire Tombura, and the president sent Major General James Akech; this man is doing a good job; he’s already disarming the people and the sense of peace is returning to the area now,” Bishop Hiiboro said, alluding to his April 29 letter to President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Credit: CDTY

He added referring to Major General Akech, “I thank the President for sending him to bring peace to the Tombura area and I thank him for the efforts he is making and for all that he is doing to ensure that peace prevails”.

“Civilians who are not part of the military (or) organized forces, please give back guns to the government; don’t hold any gun; don’t hold any instrument that can harm your sister and harm your brothers,” Bishop Hiiboro appealed.

Credit: CDTY

He continued, “I support the effort of a collection of guns. I’m asking you, as your Bishop, all over the Tombura, you have no right to keep guns; give them back to the government; those things will not help you ... and those who have continued to do all this we are calling on them to stop it.”

Earlier, Bishop Hiiboro directed Parishes and other institutions in his Episcopal See to have “organized prayer” for four days, from May 2, for the intention of the safety of Fr. Luke and Michael.

Credit: CDTY

He directed that Holy Mass be offered in all institutions of CDTY and highlighted various intentions besides “the release of Fr. Yugue and Mr. Gbeko”, including “peace and reconciliation of the country.”

During the four days, Bishop Hiiboro said, the people of God under his pastoral care were “to pray the prayer directed for Diocesan Year of Faith, to make an hour of adoration every day alone or with a group, and finally pray Holy Rosary daily and ask the maternal protection of Mary, Mother of help for our two brothers and many more.”