In a statement, the Catholic bishops of South Sudan said:

“We urge the formation of a single professional national army that we can be proud of, to defend our borders against external enemies, but not to kill our brothers and sisters.

“We condemn the arms trade which provide these weapons… We abhor the fact that thousands of young men are carrying the arms when we don’t have enough money to provide basic services to our people. This is a misuse of resources.

“We are appalled to hear reports that there are still many child soldiers. We beg that lives of our children be spared, let them prepare for their future through education, ra­ther than being trapped in violence.

“Stop assuming that South Sudan and South Sudanese are doomed always to fail, and instead give support and encouragement. Stop disseminating hate speech and tribalism on the internet and social media, and instead spread constructive peace messages.

“Our nation is still fragile, but this is the time for reform and reconstruction,” said the bishops, who stressed that the future their nation is not founded on political military leaders alone.

‘World needs Christ more than ever’

In his Angelus address last Sunday, Pope Francis said: “The world needs Christ more than ever, needs his salvation, his merciful love. In Christ, and only in him, is it possible to find true peace and the fulfilment of every human aspiration.

“Therefore, let us abandon ourselves with confidence in him, Jesus our brother, friend and saviour. Through the Holy Spirit, he will give us the strength to go forward on the path of faith and witness.

“And on this path, Our Lady is always close: Let us allow her to take us by the hand when we go through moments of darkness and difficulty.

Assad meets bishops

Syrian President Bashar Assad told the Catholic bishops of his country that he is planning a new constitution to ensure equal rights for all citizens and eliminate discrimination towards religious minorities.

Patriarch Ignace Youssif III made this comment to Catholic news agency Fides after leading a delegation of six bishops to an hour-and-a-half meeting with  Assad.

Fides also reported that during the conversation between the President and the members of the ecclesial delegation, Assad also mentioned his determination to resist aggression by Islamic State, and said that all players in the Middle East should oppose the jihadist ideology.

‘Underground’ Chinese bishop ‘recants’

Neither the Vatican nor Chinese Catholics of the ‘underground’ Church believe the blog post allegedly by Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daquin praising the government-controlled Patriotic Association. Bishop Ma – who has lived under house arrest for four years since he announced he was breaking ties with the association – allegedly posted a statement saying he “made errors of words and deeds against the Patriotic Association”.

More Syrian refugees arrive at the Vatican

The Vatican has brought nine more Syrian refugees from in a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos to Rome, adding to the 12 who accompanied Pope Francis when he returned from an April visit to the island. The Sant’ Egidio community in Rome is providing them with food and housing, as it is doing for the original 12.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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