Four new priests and six new deacons were ordained for the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio in South Sudan. Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala emphasized the urgency of their mission in conflict-ridden and impoverished communities. The bishop stressed the role of the ordained in reconciling communities, forming consciences through education, and restoring dignity. Bishop Kussala urged the newly ordained to act as guiding stars, leading people to Jesus Christ through their faithfulness and witness, mirroring the Magi's journey.
about 2 months ago
On January 4, 2026, during the solemnity of the Epiphany at St. Augustine Parish, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala ordained four priests and six deacons for the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio.1
The ceremony highlighted the urgent mission of the new clergy amid South Sudan's challenges.1
Bishop Hiiboro emphasized that he is "not ordaining you for an ideal country," describing South Sudan as fragile yet hopeful, marked by conflict, poverty, and division.1
He urged the ordinands to serve in real-world fragility, providing pastoral leadership in a nation deeply loved by God.1
Drawing from the Magi's story, the bishop called the new priests and deacons to be "stars" guiding others to Jesus through faithful witness.1
Ordination points to Christ, not replaces him, fostering reconciliation, conscience formation, dignity restoration, and steadfastness in fear.1
Hiiboro stressed fraternity, shared prayer, and forgiveness among clergy as powerful preaching, warning against complaints, division, and celebrity mentality.1
Priests must embrace the cross humbly, uphold evangelical vows—celibacy, obedience, simplicity—for inner freedom, and never abandon prayer.1
Holiness means faithfulness in daily realities, not escape.1
Referencing Pope Francis, the bishop portrayed priests as close to communities: agents of peace, dignity defenders, education promoters, and advocates for food security and self-reliance.1
This involvement expresses the Gospel, not political activism.1
Hiiboro cited saints like St. Benedict, St. Daniel Comboni, St. Josephine Bakhita, and St. John Bosco, who impacted society through faith in imperfect circumstances.1
He encouraged embracing priestly identity confidently, as presence preaches before words.1
Ordaining priests for peace, not political ideals, in conflict zones
In Catholic teaching, the ordination of priests for service in conflict zones underscores their universal vocation to foster genuine peace rooted in Christ's Gospel, distinct from any political ideology or partisan agenda. This mission draws from the Church's long tradition of sending priests as witnesses of reconciliation, healers of divisions, and builders of the common good, especially where war sows hatred and despair. Papal addresses consistently emphasize that priests must prioritize spiritual renewal, dialogue, and charity over earthly power struggles, embodying an "unarmed and disarming peace" that transforms hearts. Such ordinations respond to the Church's duty to support beleaguered communities, ensuring clergy remain as "lights in our world" amid violence.
The Second Vatican Council's Presbyterorum Ordinis articulates the priesthood's boundless scope, preparing priests not for narrow locales but for a "universal mission of salvation 'even to the ends of the earth'" (Acts 1:8). This demands a readiness to serve in regions "poor in numbers of clergy," including missions scarred by conflict, through revised norms of incardination that favor apostolic needs. Priests are urged to volunteer from vocation-rich dioceses, sent not singly but in supportive groups, adapting to local languages and customs to communicate Christ's peace effectively, as St. Paul became "a Jew... to win over the Jews" (1 Cor 9:20).
Pope Leo XIV echoes this in his address to diplomatic staff in Apostolic Nunciatures, highlighting priests' arduous service in "contexts of difficulty, conflict and poverty," where they must reaffirm their identity through sacraments and obedience, reflecting the Pope's proximity to suffering communities. Similarly, Pope John Paul II, addressing Zaire's bishops amid war, praised priests as "immediate co-workers" enduring hardship, calling them to nurture "faithfulness to their vocation" and model Gospel consistency, fostering ethnic reconciliation without ethnocentrism. In Bosnia post-conflict, he urged bishops to form priests who heal "minds tried by suffering" and preach a Gospel culture of forgiveness, denouncing violence prophetically yet pursuing peace with "arms of love."
Historical precedents reinforce this: Pope Leo XIII insisted priests persevere amid "difficulties and dangers," their ministry shining brightest in "political transformations and social upheavals." These sources affirm ordinations targeted at conflict zones as essential for sustaining the Church's presence, not as political maneuvers but as acts of evangelical courage.
Catholic doctrine rigorously distinguishes the Church's role from civil authority, positioning priests as servants of the common good who educate consciences in dignity, solidarity, and brotherhood—values transcending national or ideological divides. Pope John Paul II, speaking to Syria's ambassador, stressed the Church's promotion of peace and justice without usurping state powers, serving humanity's "thirst for dignity." In Cuba, he reiterated the Church's universality, unbound by "political, economic or social system," preaching brotherhood in truth and justice.
This apolitical stance intensifies in war zones. Pope Francis decried Holy Land conflicts emptying lands of Christians, urging a ceasefire and dialogue over "rhetoric of war" that divides into "good and evil." Pope Leo XIV, early in his pontificate, invoked Jubilee Hope to promote interpersonal and international trust, renouncing "pride and vindictiveness" for peace "built in the heart." To Oriental Churches, he rejected Manichean violence, appealing for negotiations: "War is never inevitable... Let us meet, let us talk!" Priests, ordained into Christ's priesthood (Heb 7), stand "before the Lord" in vigilance against evil, embodying truth and love as "visible signs" proportioned to the divine agent.
John Paul II's addresses to diplomatic corps framed peace as countering "arrogance of power" with dialogue, not force, amid global terrorism and wars in the Middle East, Africa, and beyond. Paul VI defined peace as justice's "enterprise," not mere balance of power. In Guatemala, priests pursued non-violent justice without partisan alignment, aiding war victims. Ordaining for such zones thus equips priests to reject "excessive particularism," prioritizing Christ's peace over ideals fueling division.
Seminary formation must prepare priests for these realities: bishops, as Christ's representatives, discern vocations rigorously, fostering ongoing education to act "in the spirit... of Jesus the Good Shepherd." International seminaries and prelatures facilitate deployment where needed. In Europe’s catechetical context, priests remain "ministers of the Word," avoiding fragmented activities that dilute their peace-focused mission.
St. Benedict's legacy illustrates endurance: from Subiaco's solitude, he founded monasteries reclaiming tribes through virtue and charity amid barbarism. Modern priests mirror this, sowing peace silently through prayer and self-sacrifice.
Ordaining priests for conflict zones aligns with the Church's perennial call to universal priesthood, dispatching peacemakers who heal wounds, reject political entanglements, and proclaim Christ's reconciling love. As Pope Leo XIV urges, they pursue "disarming peace" in a Jubilee of Hope, silencing weapons through dialogue and heart-change. This fidelity ensures the Gospel's light endures where darkness threatens, inviting all to confident trust in divine peace.