Bishop Carlassare: South Sudan needs the peace of the Gospel

A South Sudanese community with Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu (Vatican News)

The Bishop of Bentiu reflects on the fragile state of South Sudan as the nation moves toward the 2026 elections. The Comboni missionary calls for a courageous embrace of Gospel peace and nonviolence, urging the Church, schools, and local communities to take an active role in educating the young in peace, justice, and reconciliation.

As South Sudan prepares for elections in 2026, Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu says there are both signs of hope and grave concerns in the country. While small but meaningful projects, such as the construction of wells, a guest house, and primary school classrooms, bring encouragement, he also denounces renewed violence, including airstrikes targeting civilians “guilty only of being administered by opposition representatives.”

Bishop Carlassare, who himself was seriously wounded in a 2021 attack, warns of a “very delicate moment” in the life of the nation, marked by polarisation, the spread of weapons, and the erosion of dialogue.

“Prejudice is preferred over listening, and violence over reconciliation,” he writes in a message, lamenting a dynamic in which “it seems the aim is to keep the country in a permanent state of conflict and humanitarian crisis.”
A call to Gospel peace and nonviolence

In response, the bishop calls for a radical embrace of Gospel peace. “We must welcome not the peace the world proposes, brandished by the powerful through military force, but the peace offered as a gift in the Gospel,” he affirms. He urges the people of South Sudan to choose the path of nonviolence, “ever more pressing in our time,” as the only way to safeguard human dignity.

Echoing the words of Pope Leo XIV, Bishop Carlassare urges discernment to uncover the true causes of conflict, unmasking rhetoric, lies, and vested interests. In a paralysed country, he warns, “there is no longer a path forward, only wandering in search of life where there is none.” The victims of this paralysis, he says, are above all the poor, who are increasingly marginalised and scapegoated by a world that has lost its direction.

“The poor person before me is not a rival, but a brother,” the bishop continues. “Sometimes he may deceive me, because he is as desperate as I am. But often, the poor brother gives witness to hope amid a fragile, precarious life.” It is here, he concludes, that “the solidarity of the poor is born: in hope.”
The Church’s role in forming a culture of peace

Bishop Carlassare emphasises that South Sudan and its Church are in urgent need of “shepherds of peace”—leaders capable of forging relationships rooted in forgiveness. True peace, he explains, requires transforming relationships within communities and forming the younger generations in the values of peace.

The Church, he affirms, has a crucial role to play in this process: “We must speak openly against the proliferation of weapons, the reckless recruitment of youth, and all forms of violence and injustice. We must prophetically give voice to those—especially young people—who have chosen the path of nonviolence, offering their witness as an example to others.”

He calls for the use of media to share stories of reconciliation and hope, and for support of initiatives that promote integral human development and social justice, including access to essential services such as water and healthcare.

The bishop concludes by underscoring the indispensable role of schools and catechists in building a culture of peace. Schools must become “places of hope” where children learn about human rights, peace, and responsible citizenship. Catechists, he adds, are called to offer an alternative reading of reality—one rooted in faith and the Gospel. “The road is long,” writes the Bishop of Bentiu, “but the path of peace is the only way that offers life and opportunity to future generations.”

Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-06/bishop-carlassare-south-sudan-elections-war-peace-reconciliation.html