The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Wednesday visited Unity State and the floods displaced people in Bentiu Protection of Civilian Site.
He was received by a mammoth crowd composed of hundreds of Christians, religious leaders, government officials, and the local population.
“I thank you for your cordial welcome in this Diocese of Malakal, in this city of Bentiu. I thank you for your participation in this whole sacrifice of the mass. I see your faith and your devotion,” Cardinal Parolin said during his visit. “I will keep in my heart this visit. I will keep in my heart each one of you and I will assure each of you of my prayers for each one of you and your intentions.”
Speaking to the IDPs, Cardinal Parolin said, he brought the Pope’s greetings and hope to the population assuring that Pope Francis will visit the country when his health improves.
“The Holy Father told me to come and give people his greetings, his affection, his closeness, his prayers, and his blessings just to advance the visit of the Holy Father. He will be here as soon as possible as soon as his health allows him to,” he said.
Cardinal Parolin said it was evident that the people of Unity State have suffered the brunt of the civil wars and floods.
“I have seen the signs of the war and the Bishop was telling me about many damages the war has produced in this territory and after that when maybe the situation was almost returning to normality the floods affected this area,” he said.
He called on the IDPs to remain hopeful and said the Catholic Church will assist where it can.
The chairman of the IDPs high committee in Bentiu POC, John Nhial Ruai, shared some of the challenges the IDPs face including food shortages, insecurity, and diseases such as Hepatitis E and Covid-19.
“It is with great joy and happiness for the community living in Bentiu IDPs camp to welcome you and to see you with their eyes. Your visit will bring hope to vulnerable people who have been living in the IDP camps for nine years,” Nhial said. “It will be great if all our demands reach the desk of Pope Francis and the entire people of Vatican City.”
For his part, Unity State Governor Joseph Monytuil Wejang welcomed the cardinal and said his visit brings hopes of peace to South Sudan.
“We are very happy seeing the people and the entire Catholic community standing with us and us as leaders are following that good example,” Governor Monytuil said. “On behalf of our people, the government of Unity State, and the people of South Sudan, we wish our Pope Francis to recover quickly because we were all preparing to go to Juba to pray with him to see and bless him for being a peacemaker for South Sudan.”
Pope Francis’s envoy arrived in Juba on Tuesday carrying a message from the Holy Father whose visit to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo was postponed due to severe knee pain.
Cardinal Parolin met President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, upon his arrival. On Thursday, he held a public mass at the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.
On Friday, he will visit Usratuna and the Catholic University of South Sudan after holding a mass at St. Paul Major Seminary before his departure for the Vatican.