South Sudan church leaders invite the Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury to conduct a joint visit to the country

Pope Francis has accepted an invitation from the Christian leaders of South Sudan to visit Africa’s newest nation. At an audience held at the Vatican on 27 October 2016 the pope met with the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Juba, Mgr. Paulino Lukudu Loro, the Anglican Primate of South Sudan, the Most Rev. Daniel Deng, Archbishop of Juba, and the Rt. Rev. Peter Gai Luai Marrow, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan. In a statement released following the meeting, the Vatican press office said:  “In the context of the tensions that divide the population to the detriment of coexistence in the Country, during the meeting with the Holy Father it was acknowledged that good and fruitful collaboration exists among the Christian Churches, who wish primarily to offer their contribution to promoting the common good, protecting the dignity of the person, protecting the helpless and implementing initiatives for dialogue and reconciliation.” Archbishop Deng told reporters in Rome he had asked the pope to visit in conjunction with the Archbishop of Canterbury. A spokesman for Lambeth Palace told Anglican Ink they had not spoken with the Sudanese Anglican leader and could not comment.