Pope Francis Remembered as a Champion of Peace in South Sudan

Pope Francis has left an important mark on South Sudan. During his tenure as pontiff, he consistently advocated for the implementation of a peace agreement, brought South Sudanese leaders together to foster trust, and visited the capital, Juba, to promote reconciliation in the young nation.

A large banner of Pope Francis stood behind the altar at the chapel of St Lawrence Minor Seminary in Rejaf, a village located in the vicinity of Juba, South Sudan’s capital. As they entered for midday prayers, students knelt down facing an image of Francis, who died on Monday. Up to his last days, the leader of the Catholic Church advocated for reconciliation in the conflict-ridden nation, where a peace deal was signed in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed more than 400,000.

While battling double pneumonia last month, Francis sent letters from his hospital bed to South Sudan’s rival leaders, President Salva Kiir and Vice-president Riek Machar. He asked them to embrace dialog to resolve mounting tensions and prevent the return of civil war. “I am deeply saddened by his death, we have lost a good pope, a pope who was loving and caring” says Fr. James Rombe, 30, a priest in the archdiocese of Juba and the vice-rector of Rejaf seminary.

As a theology student in Rome between 2017 and 2021, he recalls meeting pope Francis on several occasions. "He gave everything to work for peace: his commitment, dedication, prayers, encouraging our people, pushing our people to dialog in order to bring peace,” Rombe said. Francis’s trip to the country was postponed several times, but he nevertheless kept an active stance on the South Sudan peace process.

A 2018 peace deal provided for the swift formation of a transitional government of national unity. And the following year, to foster trust among the former rivals, Kiir and Machar, Francis invited them to take part in a spiritual retreat at the Vatican. At the gathering he performed one of the most spectacular gestures of his mandate: kneeling down and kissing both their feet. “Everyone was shocked” Fr. James Rombe recalls. “He taught our leaders a big lesson on humility and how to be a servant leader.”

While they formed a unity government in 2020, South Sudan’s leaders have not been able to fully implement the peace agreement. Elections have been postponed twice and are now supposed to take place in 2026. Since January, tensions have flared, with direct confrontations between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and forces loyal to Machar. Several regional attempts at mediation have failed and the UN has warned of a return to a “full blown civil war”.

Despite the escalation, both parties have issued messages of condolence and praised the Pope's support for their country. “Pope Francis will be remembered as a beacon of hope, compassion, and unity. His efforts to promote peace in our country have left an indelible mark,” wrote president Salva Kiir.

For his part, Riek Machar’s party said: “We are forever grateful for Pope Francis' tireless efforts for peace and stability in South Sudan”, mentioning the April 2019 spiritual retreat as a “pivotal event that laid the foundation for the implementation of the peace agreement.”