Pope’s visit to gives ‘hope’ to South Sudan

Noelle Fitzpatrick pulled into a small ramshackle roadside shop for some reprieve from the intense daytime heat and her long journey back to South Sudanese city of Juba from Western Equatoria. It was there she got talking to some local women.

The Kingscourt native, who is country director for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in South Sudan, was immediately struck by the fact that, despite almost 12 months of planning, the ladies with whom she spoke had no knowledge of the impending six-day trip to Africa by Pope Francis.

Any niggling doubt that the Pope's message might not be received was dispensed with quickly as the visit began, culminating with an “unprecedented” 100,000 people gathering for an open-air ecumenical prayer vigil at the John Garang Mausoleum last Sunday, February 5.

His Holiness was joined by the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Church of Scotland moderator, Iain Greenshields.

The week-long joint visit to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo was the first of its kind in Christian history and, at the open air mass in Juba, Pope Francis encouraged peace “in the entire African continent, where so many of our brothers and sisters in the faith experience persecution and danger, where great numbers of people suffer from conflict exploitation, exploitation, and poverty".

He also called on people in the country to reject the “venom of hatred” while urging the country's leaders to focus on ending conflict.

When the Celt speaks with Noelle, it’s in the wake of Pope Francis’ visit. She’s physically exhausted but mentally energised by what she has just witnessed.

The JRS, which Noelle represents, had six people who travelled by road convoy from Western Equatoria to represent the charity organisation in Juba, and 18 more flown in from Upper Nile State on the border with Ethiopia.

One of those who attended on behalf of JRS presented Pope Francis with a traditional hat from Western Equatoria that Noelle had picked up on her journey way back with Pope Francis in mind.

“It was really important that people from the margins, who would not normally have the opportunity to engage with something like this, that they would have the opportunity to come to Juba. From Upper Nile, three of these people were refugees, living for years in their settlements, so it was really important they were here.”

As part of their planned “pilgrimage of peace”, on Saturday the Pontiff and senior clerics met people displaced by war to hear their stories.

Sense of hope

Noelle believes that Pope Francis’ visit has “already made a difference” in the way it has brought people together in such unprecedented numbers, and in how it has imbued a sense of “hope” in those working at ground level as they strive to make the lives of those most in need better.

“For the people who work with us it has made them reenergised, and encouraged in their work. It has given them hope now to bring back to their locations and to keep going. I think they’ve really taken in the message of Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, in particular, that this is our responsibility now to put words into action, this need to make things, but also each and every person has to been part of making peace happen. This message was given very strongly. I think people have really heard that.”

She describes it too as an “immense thing” to see such a gathering take place at the mausoleum for South Sudan’s liberation hero John Garang, which was “unprecedented” both in terms of scale and commitment to a singular cause. Only around 50,000 people had been expected to attend.

“All waving South Sudan flags. That kind of thing just doesn’t happen. That whole area is very volatile, at times closed off; you don’t even drive by it. That in itself was very historic, and it brought together people from every corner of the country. So that experience, and everyone listening to the same message, everything passing off very peacefully, I think it has given a lot of people a lift that there is a possibility of a peaceful future.”