A senior Catholic clergyman in South Sudan has revealed that Pope Francis has instructed bishops to give priority to women’s leadership in various activities in their dioceses.
Archbishop of Juba Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, who was elevated to the rank of Cardinal by Pope Francis a month ago, returned home on Monday morning from the Vatican.
He is one of the three African archbishops who were elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in September – together with Cardinal Protase Rugambwa from Tanzania and Cardinal Stephen Brislin from South Africa. They were among the 21 new cardinals.
Addressing a jubilant gathering St Theresa’s Cathedral in the capital, Juba, Cardinal Ameyu said he delayed returning because Pope Francis asked him to take part a synod discuss the role of the Church in evangelisation.
“In the synod, the Pope says ‘let’s put women first’. If we put women first, this church will stand strong. God willing in our archdiocese we will respect the work done by women in all the committees in our Church.
“Today our life [in South Sudan] has been broken by the war, it has been broken by quarrels in our families, it has been broken by mothers leaving the house, it has been broken by irresponsible fathers who leave the house – all of us have a broken life,” Cardinal Ameyu said.