Pope Francis, along with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields, visited South Sudan on a joint pilgrimage of peace.
The three Christian leaders met with displaced children in the capital city of Juba, who shared their struggles in the refugee camps. Pope Francis told the children that their future lies in overcoming ethnic hatred and replacing it with forgiveness.
The Pope stressed the importance of education and called for girls to be respected, protected and honoured.
The head of the UN mission in South Sudan emphasized the vulnerability of women and girls to sexual and gender-based violence. Pope Francis agreed, stating that women are key to South Sudan’s peaceful development and that they must be protected, respected, appreciated and honoured.
However, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that 75% of girls in South Sudan do not attend school and are subjected to early marriages and high maternal mortality rates.
The pope’s visit was aimed at encouraging the implementation of a peace accord to end the civil war and bring hope to South Sudan.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia
