SW News: The Vatican Secretary of State traveled to the northern city of Malakal in Upper Nile State on his second day in South Sudan, where he celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

In an effort to advance the peace process that Pope Francis and the local Church have long pushed for, Cardinal Pietro Parolin started his four-day trip to the African nation on Monday.

The Pope's closeness to the people of South Sudan was echoed by Cardinal Parolin in his homily for Mass on the Feast of Assumption. The Cardinal said the Holy Father still had clear recollections of his February journey to South Sudan and that he still carried the nation, its people, their challenges and scars, as well as their expectations and hopes, in his heart.

Cardinal Parolin said his visit to the country seeks to convey the communion and solidarity of the universal Church and to remind South Sudanese that no Christian is ever alone since all are united in Christ.

The cardinal condemned the numerous conflicts that plague people around the globe, including South Sudan's own civil war.

He mentioned the large number of people who had fled their homes due to strife while also mentioning the great plague of revenge that was destroying communities.

However, Cardinal Parolin continued, the Assumption of Mary serves as a reminder to Christians that good always triumphs over evil and that those who humiliate others have only temporary power since pride, weapons, and money will not save them.

He urged South Sudanese citizens to remember that hope in God never fails, especially when Christians combine their hope with their faith and practical acts of modest service for peace. He urged them to look to Christ and His mother as examples.

"Faith, charity, and humility/littleness are the path of the Gospel, the path along which Mary walked and led her to the resplendent place, as Queen, at the right side of her Son Jesus, to be a sign of consolation and hope for the entire world," he said.

Cardinal Parolin offered a message of goodwill from Pope Francis, according to a news release from the President's Office. The President and Cardinal spoke on a range of topics pertaining to the peace process and the 2024 general elections.

Cardinal Parolin also called on the people of South Sudan to embrace the spirit of peace and reconciliation to build a harmonious society in the country.