advertisement

Pope says he's studying possible trip to South Sudan

ROME (AP) - Pope Francis says he's studying the possibility of going to South Sudan, the East African nation suffering famine and civil war.

Francis said while visiting an Anglican church in Rome on Sunday that Anglican, Presbyterian and Catholic bishops had asked him to "please come, even for a day."

The pope says they asked him to visit with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Anglican leader who also has decried the suffering in South Sudan.

Francis and his aides are studying the possibility. He didn't specify if they were considering a trip just by him, or one with Welby.

The pope has demanded concrete actions to get food to starving people in South Sudan. The United Nations and others have accused the nation's government of blocking or restricting aid deliveries.

In this photo taken June 28, 2016 and released by the World Food Programme (WFP), people collect food assistance from WFP on the outskirts of Mayom, in Unity state, South Sudan. The United Nations needs $4.4 billion by the end of March to prevent catastrophic hunger and famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, yet just $90 million has been collected so far, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. (Challiss McDonough/WFP, via AP) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.