Letter
Letter to Bishop Kussala Expressing Solidarity with the Church in South Sudan, March 10, 2026
March 10, 2026
The Most Reverend Eduardo Hiiboro KUSSALA
Bishop of Tombura-Yambio
President of the Integral Human Development Commission
Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference (SSSCBC)
Wilson St, Yambio, South Sudan
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace, I write to express our profound ecclesial solidarity with the Church in South Sudan, as you mourn the killing of approximately 200 innocent civilians in Ayod County in Jonglei State and Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative area. We echo the resounding statement made by Your Excellency and your brother bishops of Sudan and South Sudan on March 2nd: “These acts represent not only a tragic loss of life but a fresh descent into the abyss of human depravity, where the sanctity of life, a sacred gift from God, is trampled upon with alarming impunity.”
Our committee has long voiced urgent concern over the mass destruction and loss of life caused by civil conflict in South Sudan. We are deeply alarmed by the recent escalation of violence and further intensified humanitarian crisis. We share your conviction that “every massacre is a defeat of our humanity” and we urge the Catholic faithful in the U.S., and all people of goodwill, to pray and work for an end to the cycles of trauma, retaliation, and violence gravely afflicting communities across the country.
We also seek to amplify your call for international assistance in addressing needs for basic humanitarian services, pastoral care, and psychosocial support for the millions currently in distress. In the coming days, the faithful at parishes across the U.S. will contribute to the annual Collection for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the means by which the U.S. Catholic community can continue to tangibly support our South Sudanese brothers and sisters. We also applaud the work of organizations like Solidarity with South Sudan, through which Catholic religious congregations help strengthen the people’s capacity to build a more just and peaceful society.
We trust that Our Lord accompanies the people of South Sudan through their unthinkable suffering, particularly in this Lenten period. We pray that the recent cascade of violence may be imminently halted and the most vulnerable protected. Through the intercession of Mary Queen of Peace, may justice and peace reign throughout South Sudan.
In Christ,
The Most Reverend A. Elias Zaidan
Bishop of Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace