Sudan: Information on the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church in the Sudan, in particular if the practices and beliefs are similar to those in Roman Catholic church elsewhere; on the head of the Roman Catholic church in the Sudan; and on the languages in which the Church conducts masses
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 December 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SDN19235.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sudan: Information on the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church in the Sudan, in particular if the practices and beliefs are similar to those in Roman Catholic church elsewhere; on the head of the Roman Catholic church in the Sudan; and on the languages in which the Church conducts masses, 1 December 1994, SDN19235.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acf580.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The information in this response was provided by a representative of the "Groupe d'action sur le Soudan," at the White Fathers' Missionaries for Africa in Montreal. According to this source, the practices and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church are universal but take into consideration particular cultural aspects of the country in question (19 Dec. 1994). For example, in the predominantly Arabic north masses are conducted in Arabic, whereas in the south masses are conducted in English and/or in the local dialects. He stated that from the perspective of the church all Sudanese are equal, and the church maintains a non-racist, non-discriminatory policy and stresses the preservation of the individual's human rights. He stressed that this is not the policy of the government which currently pursues a policy of islamization of the whole Sudan. He also stated that those who resist official government policy have become targets of harassment and mistreatment. This information corroborates that provided by a representative of the missions department of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops of Ottawa (14 Dec. 1994).
The representative of the "Groupe d'action pour le Soudan" stated that the head of the Roman Catholic Church is Monseigneur Gabriel Zubeir Wako.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Ottawa. 14 December 1994. Telephone interview with representative of the missions department.
Groupe d'action pour le Soudan, Montreal. 19 December 1994. Telephone interview with representative.