Vatican cancels Pope's visit to South Sudan

Vatican cancels Pope's visit to South Sudan

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke has said Tuesday that Vatican has scrapped tentative plans for Pope Francis’ visit this year to civil war hit South Sudan.

The trip “was not for this year” He told reuters but did not say what and what next.

However a Church source said the cancellation was due to Vatican advance teams failure to secure guarantees that people of both ethnic groups would be able to attend a papal Mass of reconciliation.

South Sudan’s Church leaders had expected the pope’s one day visit to the capital, Juba, probably in October, but the Vatican had never announced the trip officially.

Burke did not give a reason for the cancellation of the plans but Vatican and Church sources said it was a combination of security concerns and logistics.

He was expected to appear with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the worldwide Anglican communion, in an effort to promote unity in the mostly Christian country.

South Sudan’s president Kiir is a Roman Catholic who regularly attends services at the cathedral in Juba in his trademark cowboy hat.