ROME — Pope Francis has denounced a road ambush in South Sudan that took the lives of two Catholic nuns Sunday morning along with three other victims.
“His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the brutal attack on a group of sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus last Sunday, resulting in the deaths of Sister Mary Abud and Sister Regina Roba,” reads a telegram sent by the Vatican on Tuesday at the pope’s behest.
“He offers heartfelt condolences to their families and to their religious community in the wake of this senseless act of violence,” the note continues. “Trusting that their sacrifice will advance the cause of peace, reconciliation and security in the region, His Holiness prays for their eternal rest and the comfort of those who grieve their loss.”
“Invoking upon all taking part in the Mass of Christian burial the consolation and strength of the Risen Lord, victor over sin and death, the Holy Father cordially imparts his apostolic blessing,” the telegram concludes.
According to local media reports, the two sisters were both Ugandan, but had been working in South Sudan for over a decade. They were ambushed by gunmen while travelling on the Juba-Nimule road from Loa Parish in Torit Diocese, Eastern Equatoria Province in South Sudan.
“The two nuns who were killed, Sr. Regina Roba and Sr. Mary Abbud, these are prominent sisters from the Sacred Heart Sisters working in Juba for several years,” said Central Equatoria State information minister Andrugo Mabe Severio.
“Some are running the schools and some are running health centers. Sr. Roba was very technical in the area of health and Mary Abbud died as the headmistress of Sacred Heart School in the middle of Juba City,” Severio said.
Last week, First Lt. Gen Simon Gatwech Dual, the rebel leader of a faction of the South Sudan Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), threatened ambushes along the Juba-Nimule route if South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar continued to cling to power.
“What happened on Juba-Nimule road is very unfortunate,” said a spokesman for the Juba police, Daniel Justine Buolo. “A car was ambushed around 10am and as a result, three people died. One was burnt in the car and another one died on the way after being rushed to Aru-Junction hospital.”
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