Pope makes final bid for peace, forgiveness in South Sudan

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Pope Francis has made a final appeal for peace in South Sudan. He celebrated Mass before an estimated 100,000 people to close out an unusual mission by Christian religious leaders to nudge forward the country’s recovery from civil war.

In his homily Sunday, Francis begged for South Sudanese people to lay down their weapons and forgive one another. His message aimed to revive hopes in the world’s youngest country, which gained independence from the majority Muslim Sudan in 2011 but has been beset by civil war and conflict. The pope has departed the country after being seen off by the president.

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