The Vatican has postponed a trip by Pope Francis to war-torn South
Sudan planned for later this year, which the pope had hoped to
undertake together with Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin
Welby.
Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told journalists that while the trip is
still being considered it is "not for this year." Burke did not say
when the trip, which had been tentatively planned for October, might
now take place.
Postponement of the visit comes after Italian media reports that
Francis was forced to cancel his plans due to security concerns. Il
Messaggero, Rome's daily newspaper, reported May 29 that the pope made
the decision reluctantly "after the information coming to his desk
left him with few alternatives."
South Sudan is the world's newest country, forming after it gained
independence from Sudan in 2011. A political struggle broke out in the
country in 2013, leading to a civil war in which an estimated 300,000
people have died and some 3 million have been displaced.
Francis had hoped to make a visit to the country in a push for peace,
much like his earlier visit to the Central African Republic in 2015. A
trip with Archbishop Justin would have been the first time the leaders
of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches had traveled in such a way
together.
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Vatican officials had been in South Sudan earlier this month to assess
the possibility of a papal visit.
Services available in South Sudan at the moment are minimal. The
arrivals section at the Juba airport, where Francis would likely have
to land, is currently a small outdoor area with wooden planks covering
muddy soil.
An official with knowledge of the preparations for the possible visit
said Francis had been presented with the possibility of making a short
several hour trip to the country as a stop-over while visiting another
nearby nation.
The source also said the pope balked when he was told that given the
security concerns it would not be possible for him to leave the Juba
airport, believing that if he made a visit only to the airport it
would present a bad symbol to the country.
It is unclear what other African country or countries Francis might
have been considering visiting. Before heading to the Central African
Republic in 2015, the pope made stops in Kenya and Uganda. Ethiopia's
Catholic community has also invited the pope to visit.
Francis had a private meeting with South Sudan President Salva Kiir
during his Uganda visit two years ago. The two leaders spoke for 15
minutes in an encounter arranged by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
The only papal trip abroad currently confirmed by the Vatican for the
rest of 2017 is a visit to Colombia set for Sept. 6-11. There is also
discussion of a possible visit to India and Bangladesh, which is
currently unconfirmed.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/vatican-postpones-pope-s-trip-south-sudan
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