“Do not distort the Word of God”: Cardinal Ameyu to Four Newly Ordained Deacons for Juba Archdiocese in South Sudan

The Archbishop of Juba emphasized the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church, inviting the Deacons-elect to draw their spiritual strength from the Holy Mass.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. Without the Holy Sacrifice, the Church cannot exist. Many do not understand this mystery, but you, as Deacons, must draw your strength from it,” he said.

He noted that service at the altar must go hand in hand with ministry among the people. He urged the Deacons-elect to “care for the poor, encourage the discouraged, and be instruments of reconciliation.”

Cardinal Ameyu invited the Deacons-elect and the faithful to resist the forces of evil that hinder peace and reconciliation.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“You will proclaim the mystery of the Last Supper. You will care for the poor. You will help to crush the head of the serpent. Unless we, Priests, Religious, and all our people, can crush the evil that has fixed itself in South Sudan, we are not going to change,” Cardinal Ameyu, who also serves as the President of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SSS-CBC) since his installation in January 2024 further said on December 8.

Reflecting on the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the South Sudanese Cardinal said that her “fiat”, her yes to God, is the foundation of Christian redemption and called upon the Deacons-elect to imitate her readiness to embrace God’s will.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“The yes of Mary reverses the fall of Adam and Eve. When we say yes to the conscience God has placed in us, we begin to reverse the sin that destroys our families, our institutions, and our nation,” Cardinal Ameyu said.

He cautioned the Deacons-elect against viewing their ordination as a step up the ecclesiastical ladder, calling instead for interior renewal.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“Any state of life in the Church requires change. A Deacon cannot live as he did before. A Priest cannot behave like everyone else. Bishops cannot behave like Priests. Every vocation must reshape our lives and attitudes,” the Local Ordinary of Juba Archdiocese, who was among the three Africans created Cardinals during the 30 September 2023 Consistory, said.

He used the image of the River Nile to illustrate the hidden yet powerful nature of divine grace. The river, Cardinal Ameyu said, flows through South Sudan, giving life, though few people know its distant origins.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

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“Grace comes to us like the Nile,” he went on to say, adding that grace “begins from a hidden place and becomes a mighty river bringing life. Mary is like that source; through her, the grace of God flows into the world and into our lives.”

Cardinal Ameyu continued, “You have experienced the floods of disappointment and the droughts of doubt. Yet you stand here today as servants of God’s people. Perseverance must be your companion.”

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“Imagine a slave becoming a saint. Bakhita’s life shows that grace is stronger than suffering. My dear Deacons, you must be such a beacon of hope for your people, just as she was,” said the South Sudanese Cardinal, whose transfer from Torit Diocese to Juba was met with resistance from a section of the Clergy and Laity of Juba Archdiocese.

He encouraged the Deacons-elect to become “signs of hope” in a society marked by conflict, poverty, and spiritual struggle.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

“The people you will serve are like soup without shape. You must give them form again through the Word of God and the grace of the sacraments. Lead them with humility, with the yes of Mary, and with the strength that comes from Christ,” Cardinal Ameyu said on December 8.

Credit: Ginaba Lino Michael/Catholic Radio Network/South Sudan/Juba

Ginaba Lino Michael contributed to this story