(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops' Conference of
England and Wales, has written to His Eminence Cardinal Gabriel Zubayr Wako, Archbishop
of Khartoum, to echo the call for peace in South Sudan.
Clashes in Juba, the
capital of South Sudan, erupted just before Christmas. The violence has left thousands
dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
Writing on behalf of the Bishops
of England and Wales - and as one President of an Episcopal Conference to another
- Archbishop Nichols wrote: "In light of your call on political leaders to make
serious attempts to broker peace and alleviate the suffering of those caught between
the warring factions, we would like to add our voice to that of the AMECEA bishops
in assuring you of our prayers and support."
Below, please find the full
text of Archbishop Vincent Nichols’ letter to Cardinal Gabriel Zubayr Wako:
Your
Eminence, As you know, we the Bishops of England and Wales have been following
the work of the Church in Sudan and South Sudan for a number of years both as a Conference
and through our agencies: Aid to the Church in Need UK; CAFOD and Missio UK. We have
also asked Bishop William Kenney to represent us in following the situation more closely
and he has already undertaken a visit to Juba and continues to attempt to organise
a visit to Khartoum. In light of your call on political leaders to make serious
attempts to broker peace and alleviate the suffering of those caught between the warring
factions, we would like to add our voice to that of the AMECEA bishops in assuring
you of our prayers and support We have also been encouraged to see the ecumenical
commitment of Church leaders in South Sudan under the leadership of the Catholic and
Episcopalian Archbishops of Juba. While the Sudanese Catholic Bishops Conference
remains one, your responsibility covers two sovereign nations each with its own challenges.
We feel that it would be remiss of us if we were to omit assurances of our ongoing
support and prayer for the different challenges that you face in Sudan. We join
you in prayer as you continue your meeting in Juba, asking that the Holy Spirit inspire
you and give you strength. Greetings to you and your brother bishops with assurance
of my prayers and support. Yours in Christ
+Vincent Nichols Archbishop
of Westminster, President of CBCEW