(Bentiu) – As South Sudan moves towards its first national elections scheduled for 2026, Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu has called on citizens, communities, and the Church to reject violence and embrace a culture of peace based on Gospel values.
While recognising signs of progress through local development projects, the bishop warned that ongoing violence, political polarisation, and a lack of national dialogue are keeping the country trapped in a cycle of crisis.
Bishop Carlassare, a Comboni missionary who survived a gun attack in 2021, said South Sudan is facing a “very delicate moment” in its history. In a recent message, he expressed concern over recent airstrikes against civilian areas under opposition control, describing them as attacks against people “guilty only of being administered by opposition representatives.”
He said violence continues to be chosen over reconciliation, and that prejudice is replacing listening.
“It seems the aim is to keep the country in a permanent state of conflict and humanitarian crisis,” the bishop warned.
In response, the bishop urged the people of South Sudan to reject military solutions and instead adopt the peace offered in the Gospel.
“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 wrote. He said nonviolence is becoming increasingly important as the only path that protects human dignity in a broken society.
Quoting the teachings of Pope Leo XIII, Bishop Carlassare called for honest reflection to uncover the real causes of conflict, including the misuse of power and propaganda. In a country weakened by division and corruption, he warned that “there is no longer a path forward, only wandering in search of life where there is none.” He added that the poor are the biggest victims, often used as scapegoats by a society that has lost its way.
“The poor person before me is not a rival, but a brother,” he said. “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.”
This shared experience, he said, creates a deep solidarity among those most affected by the nation’s hardship.
Looking ahead, Bishop Carlassare stressed the urgent need for “shepherds of peace”—leaders who can build relationships rooted in forgiveness and mutual respect. He said the Church in South Sudan must play an active role in shaping these leaders and helping communities to transform their relationships from conflict to coexistence.
He called on Church leaders to speak openly against the spread of weapons, the recruitment of young people into armed groups, and all forms of injustice. The bishop also praised young people who have chosen the path of peace, urging communities to share their stories as examples for others.
Bishop Carlassare encouraged greater use of the media to highlight acts of reconciliation and to support development projects that improve people’s lives, including clean water access and basic health services. He stressed that schools and catechists also have an essential role in this transformation.
He described schools as “places of hope” where children must be taught peace, human rights, and responsible citizenship. Catechists, he said, must offer a Gospel-based vision that teaches people to see the world differently, beyond the conflict that has defined much of South Sudan’s recent past.
“The road is long,” he concluded, “but the path of peace is the only way that offers life and opportunity to future generations.”
