Pope Francis ended his peace pilgrimage to South Sudan with an open-air celebration attended by thousands of people in Juba.
He urged the congregation to reject what he called the “poison of hatred”, and asked them not to miss any opportunity to build peace.
And he pleaded with the country’s leaders to focus on ending the conflict.
Before leaving, he told the crowd: “Dear brothers and sisters, I am returning to Rome with you even closer to my heart.”
Fervent Catholics, some who camped out overnight for the mass, told Reuters it was a joyous moment.
“I can’t sleep until this moment, I’m so excited,” Joanna Beum said.
“We are really happy that the Pope is coming because he will give us a message of peace, that we can be united as South Sudanese people,” said Juwaj Bol Ewele.
The mass, held at John Garring’s mausoleum in front of an estimated audience of 70,000, was filled with joyful worshipers waving flags and praying deeply.
The religious ceremony came on the last day of the Pope’s visit to South Sudan, his first visit to the country.
Since independence in 2011, the country has been mired in civil war after the president split from his then-vice president in 2013.
Despite a peace deal in 2018, violence fueled by ethnic tensions continues – more than 400,000 people are believed to have died as a result of the conflict.
At least 20 people were killed in a cattle attack on the occasion of a visit by religious leaders.
