Catholic Bishop Calls for Respect for Culture, Identity and Belonging in South Sudan

Bishop Edward Hiiboro Kussala of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio called for respect for culture, identity, and human dignity in South Sudan. In a statement released Sunday, September 20, the bishop urged people to view cultural differences as bridges for connection rather than sources of fear or mistrust.

Bishop Hiiboro, who chairs the Justice and Peace Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference, said that learning about different communities and countries can promote mutual understanding. He noted that people often fear what they do not understand, but that listening and genuine encounters can turn those differences into trust.

The bishop encouraged citizens to embrace various traditions without losing their own identities. He suggested that while clothing or customs might change, a person's core identity remains the same. He concluded that people do not need to look identical to live together, provided they recognize the same human dignity in one another.