From:
Lith Community, men and women of its society
To:
Rt. Rev. Daniel Deng Bul, the Archbishop of ECS
Rt. Rev. Dr. Rowan William, the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Lambeth, London
Rt. Rev. Diing Malang, bishop of Twic East Diocese
Rt. Rev. Akurdit Ngong, bishop of Bor Diocese
Mr. Dau Akoi, Twic East County commissioner
Dr. Dau Aleer Abit, the Chairman of Twic East Community
Cc: Twic East Members of Parliament (MPs)
Paliau Payam
Maar Payam
Wangulei Payam
Kongor Payam
Sub: Appeal against Disgraceful and Irreligious Excommunication
of Rev. William Kongor Deng and Rev. Jacob Dhieu Garang
We greet you in the gracious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessings,
peace of our Almighty God and his righteousness be upon you. It is our
sincere hope that all is well with you as the Lord’s able hands guide
and protect you in all your ecumenical enterprises. We also pray
wholeheartedly that this letter unequivocally conveys to you our
response as people of Lith Community at large.
This letter is our special and considered response regarding the
bishop’s decree dated Sunday, November 20, 2011. In this decree, the
bishop removed Rev. William Kongor & Rev. Jacob Dhieu from their ranks
without any due ecclesiastical procedure we believe would be in line
with the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) doctrinal canon.
We, as Lith Community members at home and abroad, categorically reject
and wholeheartedly condemn the unlawful deposition of Rev. William
Kongor Deng and Rev. Jacob Dhieu Garang. The dismissal has no any
ecclesiastical modus operandi. Having seen the circumstances
surrounding the dismissal of the two clergymen, we believe the
Archbishop did not cater adequately and convincingly for the need to
explain to the diocese, in good faith, why he dismissed the clergymen.
As we know, the above mentioned priests did not commit any grave
transgressions against the church. We, as the Lith community faithful
servants of God, catechize the Archbishop to reassess the
ecclesiastical grounds under which he ejected William Kongor and Jacob
Dhieu. If not, Lith community would have no any other option but to
sever its ties with ECS. In this regard, and to maintain the communal
integrity of Lith community believers, the community congregations
have fervently decided not to assent to any diocesan request to send
any clergymen to replace these two clergies.
We respectfully discredit and honestly dismiss Archbishop’s dismissal
letter pending his reconsideration of the decision made. We do believe
that a leader of a great and wonderful nation, like South Sudan or
even Sudan, should be high-minded and benevolent about sensitive
matters, not spiteful and vindictive. It is our honest belief that the
Archbishop’s act to make the priests redundant was unfair. With all
the due respect to the Archbishop, the decision was taken without any
due restraint. It was purely an Episcopal cart Blanche and
high-handedness taken with unfair vigor against anyone who ventures to
speak out against the seriously wanting system the archbishop
supports.
We will therefore hold the archbishop personally responsible for the
inexorable dissection and planting of divisive seeds within Twic East
Community. We respectfully condemn, in the strongest terms, the
archbishop’s letter because it was written with the intent to sow
cacophony and dubiousness among Lith Community members and in Twic
East Community as whole. If the archbishop’s aspirations include
building a cohesive and peaceful diocese, he would not impose his will
on and against diocesan interest through personal preferences such as
the imposition of unwanted Bishop.
This letter is not meant to talk ill of the Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul
because we know others may perceive it as intended so. It is a
corrective and constructive criticism aimed at initiating and
maintaining a cooperative spirit and doctrinally faithful
decision-making apparatus in the diocese. Some misguided people may
not like our initiative and reasonable response, but the spirit-filled
and reasonable believers and individuals, who think before they act,
will appreciate our genuine concerns about these dismissals and may
find good reasons to reject Deng Bul’s ideas and, also, find positive
outlook for the community and the diocese. There are no, as we know,
crimes committed against our collective ecumenical and ecclesiastical
interests as far as all the diocesan affairs are concerned. What has
been wrongly perceived is simply a choice, by the believers, of who
they want to be their diocesan Bishop. Let us not forget our churchly
and Christly democratic principles and learn from some of the
destructive examples the diocese is currently in. The last thing
anyone in the diocese would want to do is to create another grave
cause for divisiveness in the diocese.
Let us take a good look at the ill and bad reputation brought to our
county as well as the church’s hierarchy in Twic East. We are glad
that Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul acknowledged and mentioned these
problems a few months ago at a meeting in Nyuak payam. The question
is, has Daniel Deng Bul intellectually learned something from Nyuak
community’s incident? In fact, he never learnt from the current
problems being experienced in the diocese because he is still dividing
the people of the payam through the church. These divisive sentiments
will never be beneficial to anyone in the diocese. It is unfortunate
and unacceptable that some communities and individuals are being
targeted in the region, and the Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul,
unfortunately, increases the magnitude of the problem through his
unbecoming decision making in relation to innocent people. With all
the divisive and destructive episcopal decisions being made to the
detriment of our diocesan interest, no one should expect Lith
community members, and Twic East community, to remain indifferent or
silent.
However, much depends on how the church looks at herself as God’s
agent on earth; not to divide the community like what the heathen
does. Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul must analyze and reexamine the
anatomy of the social problems and ills being used by some people in
the diocese as their political backbone. Transformation, change of
hearts and minds are definitely required. The chauvinists and cynics
of old Sudan who were and still poise to propagate the notion of
division must be weeded out.
The points, which were raised by the clergies, are genuine and worthy
of consideration, unfortunately, the Archbishop took an alternative
myopic solution by resolving to dismiss the clergies instead of
finding a fair resolution to the problem. This proves that the corrupt
and dictatorial tendencies in the ECS are one of the top grievances,
which caused many of our able priests to decide to leave the ECS. If
there is no any structured, well-considered solution engendering
apparatus put in place by the diocese for believers to lodge their
complaint for better solutions in the ECS system, it becomes hard for
the diocese to hold together. The desertion of the diocese is
engendered by unsavory state of affairs because system is utterly
corrupt from top to bottom; meaning that these priests will have
nowhere to go as we have seen the dismissal letter was signed by the
archbishop himself.
It is regrettable that Archbishop Daniel Deng and bishop Ezekiel Diing
don’t know how the very clergies they dismissed from the church
suffered in evangelizing and bringing the gospel to the people during
the trying years of devastation. They stood with their congregations
and still spread the word of God even when conditions were not
favorable for them to do so.
In conclusion therefore, we ask both William and Jacob not to put away
their clerical garments, but to continue to wear them in public. ALL
THE CLERICAL CLOTHING MENTIONED ABOVE ARE OUTLINED BELOW:
ALB – An ankle-length white linen vestment with sleeves, which the
priest wears at Mass.
AMICE: A rectangular, white linen cloth stamped or embroidered with a
cross, which the priest draws over his or her head and wears around
his or her neck and shoulders. It is the first vestment the priest
uses for Mass.
BIRETTA – A stiff, square hat with three ridges on the top and a
pompom or tassel in the center.
CLERICAL SHIRTS – A white, blue, gray and black.
COLLAR – The stiffly starched band of white linen which is attached to
the Rabat and worn around the neck of the priest. It may also be a tab
in a clerical shirt.
CASSOCK –a long, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clergy
members of some Christian denominations.
We are asking that the archbishop and our ECS bishops to address these
core issues openly and directly without ignoring the issues
surrounding the events of those removed from their priesthood. We are
giving you two options, to bring them back to the system of ECS or we
will SEAL ourselves off from your diocesan leadership. Your positive
response and cooperation will be highly appreciated.
Signed by Lith Community members in North America, USA
1) Simon Mabior Dau
2) Abraham Arok Piok
3) Joseph Deng Gieu
4) Paul Mabior Ajak
5) Atem Deng Atem
6) Juach Bul Juach
7) Charles Aleer Deng
8) Ajak Bul Ajak
Copy to:
Rt. Rev. Isaac Ater, bishop of Akot diocese
Rt. Rev. Abraham Nhial, Aweil Diocese
Rt. Rev. Daniel Deng, bishop of Yirol Diocese
Rt. Rev. Tandema Obede, bishop of Maridi
Rt. Rev. John Gettoko, bishop of Bentiu Diocese
Rt. Rev. Elijah M. Awet, bishop of Cueibet Diocese
Rt. Rev. Ismail Gabriel, bishop of El Obeid Diocese
Rt. Rev. John K Zawo, bishop of Ezo Diocese
Rt. Rev. Wilson Kamani, bishop of Ibba Diocese
Rt. Rev. Andudu Adam, bishop of Kaduguli Diocese
Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo, bishop of Kajo-Keji Diocese
Rt. Rev. Abdu Al Nur Kodi, bishop of Kassala Diocese
Rt. Rev. Ezekiel Kondo, bishop of Khartoum Diocese
Rt. Rev. Peter Amidi, bishop of Lainya Diocese
Rt. Rev. Stephen Dokono, bishop of Lui Diocese
Rt. Rev. Hilary Garang, bishop of Malakal Diocese
Rt. Rev. Justin Badi, bishop of Maridi Diocese
Rt. Rev. Bismark Avokaya, bishop of Mundri Diocese
Rt. Rev. Samuel Peni, bishop of Nzara Diocese
Rt. Rev. Joseph Atot, bishop of Pacong Diocese
Rt. Rev. Yusif Abdalla, bishop of Port Sudan Dioces
Rt. Rev. Enock Tombe, bishop of Rejaf Diocese
Rt. Rev. Joseph Atem, bishop of Renk Diocese
Rt. Rev. Francis Loyo, bishop of Rokon Diocese
Rt. Rev. Alapayo Manyang, bishop of Rumbek Diocese
Rt. Rev. Micah Dawidi, bishop of Terekeka Diocese
Rt. Rev. Paul Yugusuk, bishop of Torit Diocese
Rt. Rev. Moses Bol, bishop of Wau Diocese
Rt. Rev. Peter Munde, bishop of Yambio Diocses
Rt. Rev. Hilary Adeba, bishop of Yei Diocese
Rt. Rev. David Koul, bishop of Awalrial
Rt.Rev. Francis Luga, bishop of Wonduru
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