As the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio (CDTY) is preparing to celebrate the 95th birthday of the late Bishop Joseph Gasi Abangite on 13th September 2025, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala has urged South Sudanese to embrace the legacy of peace and reconciliation that defined Bishop Gasi’s life and ministry.
Bishop Gasi, remembered as one of South Sudan’s most revered church leaders, dedicated his decades of service to promoting forgiveness, harmony, and peaceful coexistence during the country’s most turbulent years.
His successor, Bishop Hiiboro, said the occasion is not only a moment of commemoration but also a renewed call to action for all citizens.
“Bishop Gasi is not only to be admired but to be lived,” Bishop Hiiboro wrote in a pastoral letter released ahead of the celebrations. “In our fragile South Sudan and in Western Equatoria, his vision of forgiveness, harmony, and nonviolence is not optional it is a Christian duty.”
Describing his predecessor as a “shepherd of peace,” Bishop Hiiboro recalled how Bishop Gasi used both words and deeds to heal broken communities, mediate conflicts, and defend the dignity of the vulnerable.
Quoting from the Gospel of Matthew 5:9—“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God”—he reminded South Sudanese that peace is both a divine gift and a human mission.
“In a wounded land, indifference is not an option,” Bishop Hiiboro stressed, pointing to the Diocese’s Second Synod which committed the Church to be a sign and instrument of reconciliation.
In his message, Bishop Hiiboro spoke directly to families, youth, leaders, professionals, and the wider community, urging them to take up Bishop Gasi’smantle of peace in practical ways.
Families were asked to “embrace forgiveness and patient dialogue.”
Youth were encouraged to “promote unity through teamwork and shared labor.”
Leaders were reminded to “govern with humility, justice, and respect for human dignity.”
International partners were called upon to “support sustainable development and solidarity with South Sudan.”
“True development is peace in action,” he wrote, highlighting food security, education, healthcare, environmental care, and good governance as essential expressions of lasting peace.
Drawing inspiration from Rwanda, South Africa, and post-war Europe, Bishop Hiiboro said South Sudan too could rise from its painful past if it embraced reconciliation over vengeance.
“If they could rise from ashes, South Sudan too can choose reconciliation over vengeance, peace over violence, and hope over despair,” he affirmed.
The letter, shared with Rurugene Online Newsletter on 10th September 2025, comes at a time when South Sudan continues to grapple with cycles of violence, mistrust, and socio-economic hardship.
Bishop Hiiboro urged the faithful not to wait for external solutions but to take responsibility for one another.
As the Diocese prepares to honor Bishop Gasi’smemory, the message is clear: peace is not a distant dream, but a mission entrusted to every South Sudanese.
“We are called to be keepers of one another’s life, to reject violence, to sow reconciliation in our families and communities, and to build justice, development, and fraternity,” Bishop Hiiboro declared.
The celebration of Bishop Gasi’s 95th birthday is expected to draw Christians and community leaders from across Western Equatoria and beyond, uniting them around the enduring vision of a man remembered as a father of peace.
