Jul 4, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Speaking in Liverpool to friends and supporters of the international Catholic charity, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) last week, Sudanese priest, Father Todo Logworo stated that despite the long awaited peace between the country’s northern and southern regions, “martyrdom is the highest price in Sudan.“
“Martyrdom is real,” the Khartoum-based priest said, adding that Sudan’s Christians face a stark choice of whether “to succumb to the temptation to stay silent or to have the courage to shout out in defence of freedom of worship.”
Fr Todo, who lost his leg 20 years ago during the conflict in southern Sudan, spoke of the demolition of churches, the difficulties Christians face trying to get a job, the pressures they face to wear Islamic dress and the severe punishments for people caught with alcohol.
He also praised on the country’s bishops, led by Gabriel Cardinal Zubeir Wako, Archbishop of Khartoum, saying, “The bishops have the courage to defend human rights, the dignity of the individual, equality and justice. We are proud of them – they are true leaders,” Fr Todo added: “Politics and religion are inseparable in Sudan. With Islam effectively the state religion, it is a fearful time to be a Catholic.”