CISA REPORT -The Catholic Church in Sudan is yet to decide on its future pastoral operations, following the historic political separation of the country into north and south.
On July 9, 2011, the new nation of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) was born, but the church remained united.
A source from Sudan Catholic Radio News says the Bishops conference will meet in October in Wau Diocese (South). This meeting is expected to decide if to form two conferences. At present, they have one conference with two independent secretariats in Juba and Khartoum.
The source told CISA that some bishops in the South want separation but those from the North are opposed to this. There are only two dioceses in the north, namely: Khartoum and El Obeid and it will be difficult to form a Bishops’ conference.
Meanwhile advisor to the Church in the Sudan, John Ashworth says membership is going down in the Republic of Sudan (North) because many southerners have left.
“Others will probably be forced to do so in the coming months due to citizenship issues as well as the potential for renewed harassment of cultural and religious minorities in the Republic of Sudan. This is the reason that some church schools and chapels have to close. If Khartoum grants citizenship rights to southerners, then the situation may ease, but it depends on how they treat southerners and Christians,” he told CISA.
Out of the Church’s nine dioceses, in the greater Sudan, only two are in the North, the rest namely: Malakal, Juba, Yei, Wau, Rumbek, Tombura-Yambio and Torit are in the South.
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