Pope prays for Sudan peace, urges dialogue with country's Muslims

Published: 2003-12-15

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Acknowledging the tremendous suffering of Sudanese Catholics through 20 years of civil conflict, Pope John Paul II encouraged the country's bishops to increase their dialogue with their Muslim neighbors and strengthen their contacts with government bureaucrats. "With all of you I beseech the God of peace to grant success to the process of dialogue and negotiations now underway so that truth, justice and reconciliation may again reign in the Sudan," the pope told the bishops. The Sudanese bishops were in Rome in mid-December making their "ad limina" visits, which are required of all heads of dioceses every five years, and met as a group Dec. 15 with the pope. While they were in Rome talks continued in Sudan and in neighboring Kenya with the aim of bringing an end to the 20-year civil war which has pitted the Islamic, Arab-dominated government of the North against the people of the South, who are mainly Christians or followers of traditional African religions.

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