By Taban Henry
The government is urging citizens to come out and receive Pope Francis who is expected to come into the country in July this year.
Earlier this week, the Catholic Church announced the coming of Pope Francis into the country on 5th-7th July 2022.
The Pope will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from July 2nd to 5th, visiting the capital Kinshasa and Goma in the eastern province of North Kivu.
Government’s spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told journalists after the Council of Ministers meeting that President Kiir has urged Christians to turn up in big numbers during the visit of the Holy Father.
“The President briefed the cabinet on the visit of the Holy Father Pope Francis that he will be arriving South Sudan on the 5th and will be leaving on the 7th. The government appeals to the people of South Sudan and the Christians in particular to come out for the reception of his holiness the Pope upon his arrival” he said.
According to the Minister for Presidential Affairs Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, the Country had been waiting for the visit of the Pope for a long time.
“The government and its leadership are prepared and willing to give a warm well-come to the Pope that the people of South Sudan have been waiting for” he said.
Barnaba assured cooperation of the government with the church leadership and the Vatican to see their visit possible.
“This is a long-awaited call for the Christians society in South Sudan that his Holiness, the Pope visits. It is the effort of the pope that we are now negotiating with the holdout groups and we have succeeded positively.
He visited Kenya, Uganda and Central Africa Republic in 2015, Egypt in 2017, and two years later went to Morocco and then a week-long visit that took him to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.
Pope Francis’ trip to South Sudan and DRC is the second Papal visit announced for this year, with the Pope set to travel to Malta in early April.