“With a heart weighed by sorrow yet lifted by the steadfast light of faith, I write to you upon receiving your message concerning the tragic wounding of our dear brother, Rev. Fr. Luke Jumu, in El Fasher,” Bishop Hiiboro said in his message to Bishop Tombe.
Bishop Hiiboro encouraged his brother Bishop, who was at the time of the attack on a pastoral visit to the Yida Parieng and Abeyi administrative Areas of his Episcopal See, saying, “The suffering of one bishop is the suffering of all. Our Episcopal communion is not merely formal. It is a sacred bond, forged by Christ Himself, that makes our burdens lighter through mutual love and unwavering support.”
He went on to praise the Local Ordinary of El-Obeid Diocese for his resilient and courageous service among displaced communities.
The Local Ordinary of CDTY further said, “Your courage, dear Bishop Tombe, as you journey among the refugees in Yida and now in Abyei, is a beacon of pastoral love and fidelity.”
“Even as the cross grows heavier, your witness continues to inspire us all. You are not alone,” Bishop Hiiboro went on to offer his spiritual solidarity, “You carry our hearts with you. Your voice echoes in our cathedrals and chapels as we raise our prayers in vigil and faith.”
In the June 13 report, the Catholic Bishop of CDTY is quoted as having assured Bishop Tombe of his Episcopal See’s spiritual closeness with the El-Obeid Diocese, saying that they are united in prayer for the injured Priest and the suffering of the people of God in El-Fashir.
Bishop Hiiboro prayed for the swift recovery of Fr. Jumu, whose two limbs were shattered in the June 12 bomb attack, “We lift up Fr. Luke in earnest intercession, invoking the healing hand of Christ, the Divine Physician. May God preserve his life and give him courage amid this unimaginable ordeal.”
“His sacrifice, endured for the love of Christ and his people, is a holy testimony of priestly devotion in the midst of conflict,” he said of the injured Priest.
The Local Ordinary of CDTY invoked the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, and St. Joseph to “protect the Church, to surround the work and flock of bishop Tombe with heavenly protection, comfort, and that the Christ the Prince of Peace to visit the people of Sudan with the long-awaited gift of reconciliation, justice, and healing.”
Sudan’s civil war broke out on 15 April 2023. The violent conflict is between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary force under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and army units of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) that are loyal to the head of Sudan's transitional governing Sovereign Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
