The bells of Juba fell silent in mourning as word of Pope Francis’ passing reached South Sudan — a nation long scarred by conflict, displacement, and neglect. For Cardinal Stephen Ameyu, Archbishop of Juba, the grief is not just spiritual — it is profoundly political and deeply personal.

In a heartfelt conversation with Vatican News, Cardinal Ameyu described the late Pope as “our only global voice, the one who never stopped speaking on behalf of our people.” His death, the Cardinal said, marks the end of an era of consistent moral advocacy for a forgotten land.

“We are devastated,” he said. “To us, it’s not just the passing of a pope. It is the silencing of the one voice that kept South Sudan in the conscience of the world.”

Despite his declining health, Pope Francis remained resolute in highlighting South Sudan’s struggles — from armed conflict and ethnic violence to the growing crises caused by floods and famine. Just weeks before his death, on March 30, he once again mentioned South Sudan and its troubled neighbor, Sudan, during public prayers.

For South Sudanese Christians, his words were more than gestures — they were lifelines.

In February 2023, defying age and frailty, the Pope made a historic visit to South Sudan alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. The “ecumenical pilgrimage of peace” became one of his final journeys to the African continent, but it left a powerful legacy.

“When we met him at the airport, he was full of life,” Cardinal Ameyu recalled. “You could feel the Holy Spirit moving through him. He was filled with energy for the people of South Sudan.”

During his visit, Pope Francis didn’t just meet dignitaries — he made it a priority to sit with those displaced by war. At Freedom Hall in Juba, he listened to harrowing testimonies of lives upended since the civil conflict erupted in 2013. Many lost everything — homes, loved ones, livelihoods — not just to war, but to natural disasters such as flooding that continues to ravage northern regions of the country.

“South Sudan is fighting two wars,” the Cardinal explained. “One man-made, and one from nature. Pope Francis saw both. He named our suffering when no one else would.”

The late pontiff’s compassion transcended mere diplomacy. His tireless focus on South Sudan — even when the global media looked away — offered validation to a nation often forgotten by world powers.

“He was one of the few global leaders who remembered us,” Cardinal Ameyu said. “While other wars dominate the headlines, ours was invisible — except to him. That’s why I say: we have lost a great man. We have lost our advocate.”

As the country now mourns, many look back on Pope Francis’s unwavering solidarity with gratitude — and forward with uncertainty. But Cardinal Ameyu remains hopeful that the seeds the Pope planted will bear fruit in the hearts of others.

“We thank God for the gift of his life,” he said, voice heavy with emotion. “But we grieve because we have lost the one who saw us. The one who stood with us. The one who refused to let the world forget South Sudan.”