Pope Leo XIV Assures South Sudan of Solidarity, Evokes Memories of Pope Francis’ Closeness with War-Torn Country

“I have, in a very short time, talked to him (Pope Leo XIV),” Cardinal Ameyu said at a ceremony that was held in Juba on Tuesday, May 20, to welcome him back home from the Conclave.

He continued, recalling his experience with the Holy Father, “I told him that those people in South Sudan need peace. I told him that the only advocate that we had was Pope Francis. And now he is dead. The task has come to you. We hope that you follow the footsteps of the late Pope Francis.”

Credit: Radio Bakhita

“And he said he understands our situation,” he said, narrating Pope Leo XIV’s message of reassurance, and continued, “He told me this, “We must pray. All of us must pray very hard that the evil should go away from our hearts and peace will come tomorrow or today.”

Cardinal Ameyu reminded those who gathered to welcome him back home, including South Sudanese government officials, that Pope Francis died longing for peace to reign in the country.

He said that with Pope Francis’ death, South Sudan had “lost an advocate”, and reminded those fighting in the country to lay down their weapons of violence in honor of the late Holy Father.

Credit: Radio Bakhita

“On your behalf, I wept at the tomb of Pope Francis because Pope Francis had South Sudan in his heart. He had all the leaders of South Sudan in his heart. He had, all of you present here, in his heart,” the South Sudanese Cardinal said.

“That’s why I said we have lost our advocate, the one who spoke about us at the international level. Who awakened the consciences of the world towards the people of South Sudan,” he said, and added, “We mourn for him because he wished to each and every one of us in South Sudan good. But because the devil is still stuck in South Sudan, we were unable to come together.”

He expressed confidence that the late Pope Francis had “gone ahead to intercede for us that Jesus transforms all our hearts.”

Credit: Radio Bakhita

“In our hearts, sits the hatred that divides us always,” he lamented, and added, “We pray that the Lord transforms our hearts at this time of transition.”

Cardinal Ameyu urged the South Sudanese who are at war with each other to stop “pointing fingers” at each other and work towards peace.

Credit: Radio Bakhita

He reminded the people of God in South Sudan of how far the Church had come, from the age of extreme persecution to “the strongest Church today”, noting that South Sudan can also mature into a peaceful country.

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“Today, we do not experience persecution like those early Christian communities who have experienced death. But that was how the church was getting stronger and stronger. If our persecution is lack of peace, let us accept that we must work in order to bring peace not pointing fingers. That cannot help us,” he said.

The South Sudanese Church leader described Pope Leo XIV as a man with a vast pastoral experience, saying, “He is not a man who has been confined only in one place… He has gone all over the world in order to bring the good news of the Lord to his people.”

Lauding Pope Leo XIV’s election as “one of the fastest conclaves in history”. Cardinal Ameyu expressed his gratitude to the people of God in South Sudan, saying, “Because of your fervent prayers the devil could not divide the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel. We were able to get the Pope in the shortest time possible. And this is a recorded time, the shortest time possible, within four sessions of the conclave we were able to elect this Pope Leo XIV.”

Credit: Radio Bakhita

He said that the smooth election of Pope Leo XIV, for him, meant that the Spirit of God was at work.

Present at the welcoming ceremony, Bishop Santo Loku Pio, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Juba Archdiocese, congratulated Archbishop Ameyu for effectively carrying out his duties in Rome. He also acknowledged the Government of South Sudan for designating a day of mourning for Pope Francis.

Bishop Santo Loku Pio. Credit: Radio Bakhita

Also attending the ceremony was Josephine Napwon Cosmos, a government representative, who expressed her hope that Pope Leo XIV would continue the work that the late Pope Francis began in the east-central African nation.

Josephine Napwon Cosmos.  Credit: Radio Bakhita