By Sr. Laurencila, FSSA
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, Rt. Rev. Barani Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, has used the occasion of Valentine’s Day to deliver a powerful pastoral message urging South Sudanese families to embrace mature, faithful, and well-prepared love as the foundation for rebuilding the nation, describing superficial romance as insufficient for the demands of family life in a fragile society.
Speaking during a special Holy Mass celebrated on February 14, 2026, Bishop Hiiboro reframed the meaning of Valentine’s Day, reminding the faithful that Saint Valentine is not merely a symbol of romance but a witness to courageous and faithful love who gave his life defending Christian marriage. He emphasized that love is sacred, love is serious, and love must be protected, particularly in a nation still grappling with conflict, displacement, and social fragmentation.
Anchoring his homily in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain,” the Bishop stressed that love in South Sudan cannot be superficial. It must be mature, prepared, and strong enough to build families, and through families, rebuild society.
A Truth We Must Remember
Bishop Hiiboro delivered a candid message about the realities of marriage, reminding his congregation that marriage takes two good people to make it good and that marriage does not change character but reveals it. He warned that irresponsibility, lack of self-control, and an inability to forgive do not disappear after marriage but are instead magnified by it.
Drawing a compelling comparison, he noted that before a priest serves, he enters the seminary; before a professional begins a job, he trains; and before a leader governs, she is formed. He questioned why people rush into marriage, the most demanding vocation, without adequate preparation. He called for marriage formation that encompasses spiritual maturity, emotional stability, economic responsibility, and moral integrity, affirming that prepared love is stable love.
Facing Reality with Courage
The Bishop did not shy away from addressing the painful realities facing South Sudanese families today. He acknowledged that families suffer from economic hardship and unemployment, divorce and emotionally unstable marriages, early marriages and early pregnancies, violence and displacement, high dowries that burden young men, lack of trust, and the resulting young widows and orphaned children.
Citing Pope Francis, who said that the future of humanity passes through the family, Bishop Hiiboro reminded the congregation that when families suffer, the nation shakes. He made the direct connection between family stability and national peace, affirming that if South Sudan wants peace in the nation, it must begin with peace in the home.
An Empowering Message to Every Group
In one of the most pastoral sections of his homily, Bishop Hiiboro addressed each group within the family structure with a specific and empowering message. To married couples, he urged them to guard their unity fiercely, pray together daily, discuss finances openly, and forgive quickly. He reminded husbands and wives that their children are watching how they love and that their marriage is not a private matter but a pillar of society, with strong unity being greater than great wealth.
To those living in relationships, he advised them not to be carried by emotion alone but to ask whether their partner respects them, whether they can pray and grow together through difficulty, and whether their relationship brings peace or constant fear. He urged them to choose character over charm, faith over feelings, and mission over pressure, affirming that true love prepares before it promises.
To young people not yet married, Bishop Hiiboro offered words of affirmation, telling them they are not incomplete. He described this season of their lives as a time of preparation for building education, developing skills, growing spiritually, and healing emotional wounds. He reminded them that marriage will not fix immaturity but will reveal it, and urged them to become the right person before seeking the right person.
The Bishop also addressed single mothers and single fathers, acknowledging the heavy responsibility they carry while affirming that their dignity is great. He told them they are raising a generation under pressure and urged them not to lose hope, assuring them that the Church stands with them. To grandparents, he described them as the memory of the people and called on them to teach faith, culture, and patience, saying their wisdom stabilizes families in times of confusion.
Bishop Hiiboro offered words of comfort to widows and widowers, assuring them they are not forgotten and that their suffering is not weakness but strength refined by fire. He called on the Church to support them through solidarity, skills empowerment, emotional healing, and spiritual accompaniment. To married couples without children, he said their marriage is not incomplete, reminding them that fruitfulness is not only biological but also spiritual, emotional, and social, and that they can mentor youth, support orphans, and strengthen parish life. To orphans, he offered the most tender message of all, telling them they are not alone, that God calls himself Father, that the Church is their family, and that their story is not defined by loss but by resilience.
Love That Rebuilds the Nation
Bishop Hiiboro drew his homily to a powerful conclusion by connecting family stability directly to national reconstruction. He said that when two mature and responsible people unite, children grow secure, violence decreases, trust increases, and peace becomes possible. Citing Pope John Paul II, who said that as the family goes, so goes the nation, the Bishop affirmed that family is not only private happiness but national reconstruction.
He closed with a call to covenant, urging all present to decide that they will not rush marriage, will prepare seriously, will grow in character, will choose wisely, and will love faithfully. He invited the faithful to let their homes become schools of responsibility, spaces of prayer, workshops of discipline, and wellsprings of peace.
Lifting up prayers for married couples, single mothers and fathers, young people, grandparents, widows and widowers, orphans, and all families, Bishop Hiiboro concluded with the hope that Saint Valentine would intercede for South Sudanese families, that Christ would strengthen every marriage, and that the Holy Spirit would form the youth into responsible men and women. From well-prepared and faithful families, he said, God will rebuild the fragile nation.
The Bishop’s Valentine’s Day homily resonated deeply with the congregation as a timely reminder that the path to national healing and stability in South Sudan runs directly through the heart of the family, built on love that is not fleeting but faithful, not impulsive but intentional, and not self-seeking but sacrificial.
