| This coming Sunday, January 9, we commemorate the Anniversary of the Referendum for Independence for South Sudan.
Catholic Social Teaching posits eight important principles for social organization of human communities, chief among which are the principles of the sacredness of human life, respect for human dignity, and the right to participate in shaping the social order that governs one’s life. Throughout history, men and women of various cultures and ethnicities all over the world have sought to realize these values in the social and political order. Sometimes revolutions, even very bloody ones, have been justified in the name of realizing these values. If we believe in human dignity, that necessarily implies a belief also in the right of persons and societies to self-agency, or self-determination, that they can make choices around their future. And so, the Referendum for Independence in South Sudan can be seen as a part of that long legacy and struggle for the recognition of the human dignity and the human rights of all of God’s children of every race, ethnicity, language and culture. We know that the past eleven years since South Sudan’s independence have not brought about the realization of the hopes and dreams of the people who voted in that referendum. Poverty, illiteracy, political corruption, ethnic violence, and criminal behavior continues to plague this country. At the same time, our Catholic faith teaches us to have hope for the future, that, with God’s help, it is possible to call upon the better instincts of the human person and that human beings, working together, can do much to help bring about the common good. The women and men religious of the Unions of Superiors General who founded Solidarity with South Sudan believed in the potential of the people of this young country to work together in seeking the common good and a better quality of life for all of her people. We have not given up. We encourage all of those who read this message and mark the commemoration of this day to renew their determination to persist in their efforts to seek a better future for the people of this impoverished and conflict-ridden country. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11)”.
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Date Published:05 Gen 2022 Author:David, Mission Promoter
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Referendum, Peace, Independence |
