There has never been a visit like it and it has been years in the planning.
The first people to greet Pope Francis when he arrived in the South Sudanese capital were Archbishop Justin Welby and Moderator Rev Iain Greenshields, who both boarded the papal plane moments after it landed.
All three religious leaders were greeted with fanfare at Juba’s airport before travelling through singing, cheering and ululating crowds to the Presidential Palace.
The Holy Sea said it was a circuitous journey that can no longer be postponed, the Pope referring to delays in the trip caused by Covid-19, security concerns and the pontiff’s own health problems.
He said he had come with two brothers, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and that together they were stretching out their hands, presenting themselves to them and to His people in the name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. END