Pope Francis opened the second and final leg of his African pilgrimage by heading to South Sudan on Friday, hoping to encourage the young country's stalled peace process and draw international attention to continued fighting and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Francis had one final appointment Friday in Kinshasa with Congo's bishops before flying to the South Sudanese capital, Juba. There, he joins the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, in a novel ecumenical push for peace.
"The pope will bring us peace," said Monica Lado, a 40-year-old from Juba, on the eve of the three leaders' arrival. Another pilgrim on the trek, Mary Yom, a mother of eight, lost two children to violence. "Our country is being destroyed by the conflict and we hope that the pope is coming with peace, and no one will be killed again," she said.
Overall, the International Committee of the Red Cross this week reported an influx of wounded patients in recent months due to renewed clashes across the country. "We see terrible injuries, and often airlifting patients from remote areas is the only way to save their lives," said ICRC Juba delegation head Pierre Dorbes.
In addition, Francis is expected to call for an end to continued clashes and the dreadful plight of women in South Sudan. At the same time, the UN has warned that the necessary funding for an increased aid response has dwindled, as donors redirect aid budgets to Ukraine and other crises.
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