During his Saturday´s meeting with parishioners at St. Theresa’s Cathedral in Juba, the pontiff stressed that peace can no longer be postponed and urged to implement the agreement, while calling on religious leaders and rulers to ‘get their hands dirty’ in favor of the suffering people.

“The waters of the great river, indeed, gather the heartbroken cry of your community, the cry of pain for so many shattered lives, the drama of a people fleeing, the affliction of women’s hearts and the fear imprinted in the children´s eyes,” Pope Francis said.

The holy father assured South Sudan has a special place in his heart and urged everyone to work together to crack down on poverty and corruption, and to build health and educational infrastructures.

He also recalled these are years of wars and conflicts that seem to have no end, while reconciliation processes and peace promises remain unfulfilled, in reference to the 2018 agreement signed after years of war leaving over 400,000 dead.

“Time has come to say enough is enough, without ifs and buts. No more spilled blood, no more conflicts, no more aggressions and reciprocal accusations about who has been guilty, no more leaving the people thirsty for peace.

No more destruction, it is time for construction.

We must leave the time of war behind and bring a time of peace”, the pontiff stressed.

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