ACI Africa, Aug 15, 2023 / 13:45 pm
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived in South Sudan on Monday, Aug. 14, to meet people fleeing violence from neighboring Sudan among other activities lined up for his four-day visit to the east-central African country.
In an interview with ACI Africa, CNA’s partner news agency in Africa, ahead of the visit, the apostolic nuncio in South Sudan said the visit by Parolin is an extension of the “care and love” of Pope Francis to the people of South Sudan.
Parolin is visiting South Sudan at the invitation of Bishop Stephen Nyodho of the Diocese of Malakal as a follow up to his July 2022 visit to review the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those fleeing violence in neighboring Sudan. These include people who have been displaced by the ongoing war between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“The visit of the cardinal is another way of extending that care and love of the Holy Father to the people of South Sudan because Pope Francis as we all know him is a man who has always had special attention for the least of our brothers and sisters,” Archbishop Hubertus van Megen said in an Aug. 13 interview with ACI Africa at the apostolic nunciature in Juba.