Seek Lasting Peace Through Mercy, Forgiveness over Justice: Nuncio to South Sudanese

In order to break the cycle of punishment and hatred that justice seems to create, Archbishop van Megen reflected, “somebody somewhere has to say over, I will forgive.”

“Even just revenge has to stop and it can only stop through mercy, through forgiveness,” the Dutch Prelate who represents the Holy Father in Kenya and South Sudan reiterated, explaining that mercy and forgiveness are indicators of strength, not weakness.

“The mercy of God is not about his weakness, but actually about his strength,” Archbishop van Megen said and cautioned, “Don’t fall back for the tooth for tooth, an eye for an eye because the war will continue.”

Expressing awareness of the widespread impact of the protracted civil strife in South Sudan, the Nuncio said, “I know that many of you have lost families, children, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts in that war.”

“Probably, there is no one in this chapel who has not lost someone in his family somewhere … and there is (not) anyone in this hall who cannot tell a story of cruelty, and of struggle, and of fear,” said Archbishop van Megen, appealing to South Sudanese not to “fall into your own habit of hatred and revenge.”

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Over 20 South Sudanese priests joined the Apostolic Nuncio as concelebrants at the Jesuits’ Hekima College chapel in Nairobi.

Reflecting on the day’s experience with friends on his social media account, the Apostolic Nuncio described the Sunday encounter with South Sudanese living in Kenya as “a meeting of celebration, prayer and sharing.”

“We laughed and we cried, we spoke and we listened. Women (and) men, elders and children expressed their deep yearning for peace,” Archbishop van Megen wrote in reflection and expressed his prayer, “We hope and pray that the good Lord will change our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh: from revenge to love, from war to peace, from death to life.”

Looking back at the Gospel message for the day, he ended his social media post, “If we have the faith of a small mustard seed, we can move mountains. With God everything is possible.”

Addressing fellow South Sudanese at the Sunday gathering, Ambassador Monica Achol who deputizes the South Sudan Head of Mission to Kenya appealed for love among her compatriots.  

“When there is love, the peace will come itself, and that is why Jesus came,” she said and posed rhetorically, “Do we have love among ourselves? Do we have love in South Sudan?”