Pope Francis on Saturday will meet victims of South Sudan's civil war, a day after delivering an impassioned plea for the country's leaders to recommit to peace.
Pope Francis met South Sudanese religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalised.JUBA - Pope Francis on Saturday will meet victims of South Sudan's civil war, a day after delivering an impassioned plea for the country's leaders to recommit to peace for the sake of their long-suffering people.
But the country remains fragile and violent and Francis, who tried to broker peace between the rival parties, is visiting South Sudan as it lurches from one crisis to the next.At his first event Saturday, the wheelchair-bound pope met South Sudan's religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalised and are deeply respected in the devout country where 60 percent of its 12 million people are Christian.
"We came here to receive his blessings. This is all about peace. Pope Francis is not even walking, and he is still coming here to encourage our leaders," said John Makuei, 24.Later Saturday, the Argentine pontiff will address a group of South Sudanese living in a camp outside Juba who were forced to flee ethnic violence during the war.AFP | Tiziana FABI
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