As the world continues to grieve the unending cycle of violence in the Sudan, my attention is sadly drawn to the actions of the Sudanese government in once again carrying out an act of aggression against the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS).
This morning, armed police of the Government of Sudan entered the guesthouse of the ECS in Khartoum-–which also serves the Provincial Office--and ordered the eviction of Church personnel and property from the building. The police were acting on a court-issued eviction order in which the judge authorized the use of force to ensure eviction. To avoid the use of force, Church staff had no choice but to vacate the building peacefully while trying to follow the legal process. They have since taken refuge in the Cathedral in Khartoum.
Today's actions follow a long history of Government aggression toward the Church and interference in Church properties that has included the confiscation of the old Khartoum Cathedral, attempts to confiscate the headquarters of the Diocese of Khartoum in Omduran, and efforts to demolish Church-run schools in the Diocese of Renk.
These events only add to the historic tragedy of Sudan, where-–throughout 20 years of civil conflict--the ruling power relentlessly has carried out acts of violence against its own people. Like the ongoing Government-sponsored ethnic cleansing in Darfur in western Sudan, today's actions serve as a somber reminder that, even at a time when many had hoped and prayed that peace was on the horizon for the Sudan, violence remains a tragic reality. It is of particular irony that earlier this week, the U.S. State Department removed Sudan from its list of countries not cooperating with the War on Terror.
I call upon the State Department and the U.S. Congress to join me in condemning today's aggression against the Episcopal Church of Sudan, and to demand that the Sudanese government immediately and safely return ECS property and refrain from future acts of aggression against the Church.
My prayers are with the bishops, clergy, and people of the ECS--and all of the people of the Sudan--that peace and order might finally emerge from decades of violence and turmoil. May Christ's transforming love continue to remain our hope in the midst of so much despair and brokenness.
The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA
