On Thursday, November 23, 2017, at 5:30 pm. Pope Francis will preside over a celebration of Prayer for Peace in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It will take place at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter’s Basilica, announced in a press release this morning the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
The celebration is open to all; no tickets are necessary.
Two Million Refugees
At the end of 2013, a new civil war broke out in South Sudan, which has caused thousands of deaths and a great number of displaced and refugees that increases every day, reported “Manos Unidas.”
The consequences of the conflict are devastating: almost two million people have been forced to leave the country and almost as many have left their villages to seek refuge in UN camps for the displaced. Many in these camps seek protection; others seek shelter in neighboring countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan.
The needs are myriad, notes “Manos Unidas,” because the refugees (especially elderly persons, women, and children) arrive in very poor condition. Many are suffering from severe malnutrition. Almost all are traumatized by the violence and loss of family, friends, land, and livestock. They lack hope, face a difficult future if they succeed in surviving, and face grave medical, food, clean water, etc. shortages.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
JF
