You will have unrestricted access to Pope, Press assured

Local media covering Pope Francis’s visit to South Sudan next month will be accorded all the support they will need to carry out their professional work.

The coordinator for social communication on the visit of the Pope and a member of the high-level sub-committee for communication, Fr. John Gbemboyo, has assured journalists of unrestricted coverage of the ecumenical visit.

The Pope is expected to arrive on July 5, 2022 and commence his ecumenical prayer on July 6, 2022 at the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum.

Speaking to journalists at the South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat yesterday, Gbemboyo, stated that the venue was ready, and added that they had been coordinating with the government for the coverage not to be restricted to the journalists sent by media houses.

“The fear of being impeded from working has already been addressed. The government has heard it and they assured us that there was no problem hindering journalists, “Fr Gbemboyo noted.

However, Gbemboyo noted that they were yet to agree with media authorities on the number of journalists who would be needed from each media house to cover a series of events.

“The number of journalists from each media house to participate in the occasion fully is not yet determined, but we shall give the number in connection with the media authority for the number of journalists who are needed,” he said.

Last month, the South Sudan’s Commissioner of Information Commission, Moyiga Nduru, urged media authorities to treat local media houses with the utmost respect with regard to coverage of the Pope’s ecumenical visit.

“We will have very important visitors in the country. I want you (Media Authority) to do your job and ensure that local journalists cover the visit by the Pope and other Anglican praetorian leaders,” he said.

The Head of the Catholic Church will be accompanied by Archbishop Cantebury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.