Statement of the Sudanese Catholic Bishops Conference on Peace Agreement

We, the Catholic Bishops of Sudan, meeting in our extraordinary session during these first days of the interim period of the peace process, take this occasion to invite our Christian faithful and all people of good will to join us in thanking God for bringing us this far in our efforts to work towards acquiring a j ust and lasting peace for all Sudanese. We offer also a vote of thanks to the leaders of the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), the IGAD Secretariat, the IGAD Partners Forum and all friends and people of good will who have helped bring about the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. In the words of Scripture we can say, “The Lord has seen the suffering of our people, heard their cry and has come to rescue them.” (Exodus 3:7-8)

As we look ahead to the difficult tasks of peace building that are before us, it is good to take this occasion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to reflect on our efforts over the long years of civil war and to keep before us the vision and mission of the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (SCBC) in which we invited the Christian public and all Sudanese of good will to engage in the struggle for true peace and justice.

In particular, we outlined in our Pastoral Letter of 1997, our Vision for a peaceful Sudan in which:

– a) Basic human freedoms are fully respected, defended and promoted not only by law but also in practice:
– *freedom of conscience;
– *freedom of religion;
– *freedom of worship;
– *freedom of expression;
– *freedom of assembly;
– *freedom of movement (migration);

– b) -The diversity of languages, cultures and traditions is recognized, respected and valued.
– c) Equal opportunity is accorded and guaranteed for each and every citizen, regardless of hisher tribe, ethnic origin, religion or gender, that is equal opportunities for education for employment for access to the economic resources of the country for land ownership.
– d) -Dialogue with each other is fostered in daily life situations in a spirit of give and take, with genuine concern for the truth and freedom from any form-n of fanaticism and fundamentalism.
– e) A just and independent legal and judicial system is set up free from any form of political manipulation and interference, and cognisant and respectful of the diversity of cultures, customs and religions traditions that make up the Sudan.
– f) Authority in Government is exercised as honest service to the people rather than as an oppressive power.
– g) Leadership in whatever sphere of life is exercised transparently and with full and genuine accountability to the people.

This new phase of peace building gives us the opportunity to begin to realize more fully our vision for a just peace. We again invite our faithful and all persons of good will to join us in working to bring this vision to reality.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

With our Vision and Mission statement guiding us, we know that the peace we seek to build in civil society is an order and harmony in the community so that individual persons and the communities themselves can develop fully and freely. Such peace building has spiritual, social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions.

We urge again each and everyone as citizens responsible for building such a peace to contribute according to their God given talents and capacities.

At this time, we see that there are certain critical needs in the peace building process in which the Church as community and as individual citizens can make important contributions, particularly in the areas of reconciliation and the promotion of the common good.

RECONCILIATION

The Bishops earlier observed that the war has inflicted upon us many wounds, both spiritual and physical, with a lot of pain from violence, hatred, the loss of dear ones and a sense of hopelessness that must be healed. This reality calls on everyone to have a generous and patient commitment to an active agenda of personal and community forgiveness, reconciliation and healing that must be energized by the Spirit and power of Christ and through the support of the community (Ref.”I Will Make Everything New” 04)

*Forgiveness: – Essential Building Block of Reconciliation Forgiveness is never humanly easy. Yet forgiveness involves primarily only one person, the one injured. It is a personal choice, by which we dispose our hearts to go against the natural instinct to pay back evil with evil. Forgiveness basically means to give up hatred in ones heart toward the evildoer.

We have the word and example of Jesus Himself to guide us, as He prayed for those putting him to death. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing” (Lk.23:34). We have the examples of the early Christian martyrs like St. Stephen who prayed for those stoning him to death (Acts7: 60)

Our own St. Josephine Bakhitas spirit of forgiveness was rooted in her Christ centred compassionate love for all her brothers and sisters and extended to those who had abducted her from her home as a child. Such an example challenges each of us to oppose the culture of hatred and revenge nourished by the civil war.

Nor should one think that forgiveness means giving up on seeking justice. We have the teaching of Pope John Paul Il who said: Forgiveness is in no way opposed to justice, as if to forgive meant to overlook the need to right the wrong done. It is rather the fullness of justice … involving as it does the deepest healing of wounds, which fester in human hearts. Justice and forgiveness are both essential to such healing.(World Day of Peace Message, 02).

Experiences of the victims of oppression in South Africa can help us better understand the relationship between justice and forgiveness. While many victims did not seek revenge, they did take advantage of the countries “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” to come to know and offer forgiveness to those who oppressed them while seeking reparation for the harm they had suffered. We encourage those suffering from the effects of the civil war to take advantage of the proposed National Reconciliation and Healing Commission with the hope that they may be able to seek needed reparation for harm experienced, to offer forgiveness to those responsible, to leave the past behind and begin to build their lives anew.

*Reconciliation Between Persons

Reconciliation between persons or local groups builds a new relationship of respect and possible cooperation between those who were hostile to each other. To give in to feelings of revenge, hatred and destruction only keeps us chained to the conflicts of the past and will not move us forward to a more peaceful future.

True Reconciliation for each of us, no matter what our faith, is kindled by the fire of the love of God Himself that must be allowed to bum away our instinct to take revenge and our reservation to forgive. Such reconciliation calls for a change of heart to do what is positive and constructive and is based both in the heart of each party and in their mutual relationship.

In the heart of each person there must be Truth: i.e. the knowledge of the truth of the situation and the individuals role in it Forgiveness: the individuals readiness to forgive the other party.

In their mutual relationship there must be Justice: the giving and receiving of compensation and reparation for harm done, in so far as possible. While the one seeking compensation can be expected to initiate the process, those in authority would do well to help facilitate their efforts, particularly in the cases of the vulnerable and marginalized members of society

Change of Heart: both parties resolve not to violate the rights and duties of the other and to cooperate together for a better future.

PROMOTION OF THE COMMON GOOD

* Emergency Humanitarian Need: With the military cease-fire and subsequent signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, large numbers of refugees and initially displaced persons have begun retuning to their home areas. Unfortunately the Government authorities and the international community have not yet provided adequate resources to meet the basic needs of these people who are overtaxing the local resources available. Many of these people are finding their way to our Church compounds. Our collaborators are attempting to be of assistance, but resources are not adequate. There is an immediate humanitarian crisis for the basics of food, shelter, clean water, medical care, including HIV-Aids intervention, personal security and educational facilities for children of both returnees and locals. The returnees, both internally displaced persons and refugees, in spite of the presence of government authorities and members of international organisations, are isolated and neglected in several locations of southern Sudan. Worse still, some persons, abducted from their homes years ago, are claiming that they now have been forcefully repatriated to their home areas in the south, only to be abandoned there with little or no means of survival.

We are presenting this emergency humanitarian need to the civil authorities responsible for caring for the repatriation process as we seek emergency support for the thousands of people affected. We call upon the GoS, the SPLM/A and the international community to take immediate steps to fill this vacuum of humanitarian assistance. We urge them to mobilize their field workers to provide the basic means of survival and protection for these thousands of returnees. We further call upon the international relief agencies collaboratively to come immediately to the assistance of those returnees even though preparations for a further response are still on the way.

In Darfur the continued military action makes us mindful of the suffering of the thousands of innocent civilians. We call upon the GoS to do all in its power to bring the conflict to a speedy end. We further call upon the GoS and local authorities to prevent armed militias and nomads in other parts of the country from causing further upheaval to the people and destruction of their homes and livelihoods, thus contributing to the humanitarian crisis.

The Role Of The Christian Community In The Months Ahead:

We urge all our faithful to take part in civic education initiatives that will better inform you of your basic human rights and civic duties, particularly those related to cooperation with all people concerned including local authorities.

In addition we strongly recommend that you take courageously the responsibility to protect and promote your own basic rights and generously fulfill your civic duties. Further it is especially important that you put into practice the teachings of our Pastoral Letters over the years, particularly those of 04 “I Will Make Everything New”. This Letter bas a host of insights and directives that remain very pertinent to our present situation. In particular it highlights the Pastoral and Prophetic role of the Church in matters that affect human rights and the role of civic authority in providing for the common welfare of all citizens. So we urge our faithful to be familiar with these insights and directives and in particular we direct our Pastoral Workers to promote a better understanding of the Letters by setting up regular study groups in our various communities for this purpose.

CONCLUSION

In bringing this Statement to a close, we share with you Pope John Paul’s Message for the World Day of Peace, 05, since his words are particularly appropriate for our present situation. “During this year dedicated to the Eucharist, may the sons and daughters of the Church find in the supreme sacrament of love the wellspring of all communion: communion with Jesus the Redeemer and, in him, with every human being. By Christ’s death and resurrection, made sacramentally present in each Eucharistic celebration, we are saved from evil and enabled to do good. Through the new life that Christ has bestowed on us, we can recognize one another as brothers and sisters, despite every difference of language, nationality and culture. In a word, by sharing in the one body and one cup, we come to realize that we are “Gods Family” and that together we can make our own effective contribution to building a world based on the values of justice, freedom and peace.” (Jan. 1, 05) Such a peace we continue to pray for, as we are mindful of the suffering of so many innocent victims of armed conflict in the trouble spots of the world and of our country, especially in Darfur.

We continue to place all our hopes and endeavours to build a just and lasting peace under the special intercession of Sts. Josephine Bakhita and Daniel Comboni and the protection of Mary our Mother, as we entrust our future to the Lord and ask His special blessing on our peace process..

– Rosa Mystica Spiritual Centre
– Nairobi, Feb. 26, 05

Signed:

– H.G. Paolino Lukudu Loro,
Archbishop of Juba and
President of SCBC

– H.E. Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako,
Archbishop of Khartoum

– H.L Joseph Gasi Abangite Nyiker,
Bishop of Tombura- Nambio

– H.L. Paride Taban Tombe,
Retired Bishop of Torit

– H.L Macram Max Gassis,
Bishop of El Obeid

– H.L. Antonio Menegazzo
Apostolic Administrator of El Obeid

– H.L. Daniel Adwok Kur,
Auxiliary Bishop of Khartoum

– H.L. Vincent Mojwok, Bishop of Malakal

– H.L. Erkolano Lodu,
Bishop of Yei

– H.L. Rudolf Deng Majak,
Bishop of Wau

– H.L. Caesar Mazzolari,
Bishop of Rumbek

– Apologies,
H.L. Johnson Akio Mutek,
Apostolic Administrator of Torit