A priest has told South Sudanese Christians in Wau that they are not ‘cattle’ belonging to either of the two politicians Riek Machar or Salva Kiir, and he slammed politicians for provoking violence and inciting ‘uneducated’ security personnel.
Apostolic Administrator Rocco Taban said, “Before the minister of youth was saying that there are some youths from Western Bahr al Ghazal who are rebels. I think this is not something that should be said in general. Because that is a way to encourage the security personnel to arrest whom they don’t want.”
“Because many of our security personnel are people who are uneducated and uncultured. So they can stir confusion and instability in the society. For that reason I say that we in South Sudan – our government and people – must urgently work for stability. Let us not sit and complain at each other,” said the priest.
In a militant speech at an ordination ceremony in Wau, the priest also mocked politicians who classify people by their political loyalties, saying that his church belongs to God and not to any politician.
“‘Oh, he belongs to Riek or he belongs to Salva’,” he mimicked. “Who here is a cow of Salva? Or a cow of Riek? I think that we as Christians in the Catholic Church we are people who have dignity because we are creatures made in the image of God and we do not accept imperialism and provocation and insult and insecurity and inequality in the society.”
Rocco called on the newly ordained priests to ‘liberate’ Christians and all people from a “mentality” of violence, vengeance and blaming of others.
He further anticipated that he would be criticized for talking about politics but brushed this aside forcefully.
“Sometimes when a priest talks and preaches to the people by the Holy Bible there are some people who say ‘That priest is talking politics.’ I think that the people who say a priest is talking politics – and he is instructing the society, as the conscience of the society – those are people who have sheep stew for a brain.”
“Because a priest has to tell the truth,” he said. “We in the Church must play our prophetic role and there are no politicians whom we are going to allow interfere in the prophetic role of the Church.”
File photo: Apostolic Administrator Rocco Taban