The Bishop Emeritus of Torit Catholic Diocese, Bishop Paride Taban gives a message of none violence and peace as he celebrates his 80th Birthday.
Bishop Taban, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Bishop, is mostly known for the Holy Trinity Peace Village which he founded in Kuron, South Sudan, in 2005.
As he celebrates his 80th Birthday, his message remain that of none violence and Peace, “Violence should be avoided, Violence cannot solve our problems, Violence gives birth to violence and not Peace,” reads part of his message.
Read the whole version of his letter below
MY 80TH BIRTHDAY MESSAGE FROM HOLY TRINITY PEACE VILLAGE AND PEACE ACADEMY IN KURON IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN 2016. THE JUBILEE YEAR
My dear Brothers and Sisters,
Peace be with you. I give you this massage as I celebrate my 80th birth day in Bujumbura and Burundi, while spreading the message of good news on nonviolence and peace. Thank you for your spiritual and physical support.
WHAT IS LIFE?
Life is a curve. It is a mystery. We must continue to explore, improving the curve of life throughout, discovering, learning and strengthening our knowledge in prayer. I will continue to try doing this, even now after my 80th birthday.
Empires, governments, Kingdoms and powers last for some years: Twenty years, a hundred years. The same for human life on Earth; Human suffering, human mistakes, all these will pass away. We shall carry nothing with us from this world. Only God is Eternal.
Let us as Human being, learn from the curve of life, learn from nature, and let us learn from God. Let us learn from Savior Jesus Christ who said, “Heaven and Earth will pass away but my Words will not pass away.” Jesus words, “Love one another as I have loved you.
“May they be one as I and the Father are one.” We human beings have to respect, understand and accept that we do not know everything. We all of us are learners. We should not judge others.
God is the answer to everything in our life. We have to continue respecting, protecting, strengthening and perfecting Life. God created human being for this purpose.
Violence should be avoided.
Violence cannot solve our problems.
Violence gives birth to violence and not to PEACE.
We pray for the unknown and for what is beyond our human capacity. Only God is eternally perfect, He is the one who knows all things and who lasts forever. Let us love one another as God loves us. Let us stop killing human beings for POWER and for the WORLDLY WEALTH.
We are SONS and DAUGHTERS of GOD. Forgiveness and mercy are the only way to PEACEFULL COEXISTENCE. Forgiveness does not have an end, as long as we human
beings exist in this world. We must continue forgiving one another. Pope Francis said on his visit to Nairobi and to Kampala last year in 2015. “Replace Revenge with forgiveness and replace Hatred with Love.” We must continue to sow the seeds of nonviolence and PEACE
in our hearts. Leadership is being Servants, Stewards and Good Shepherds.
Why Holy Trinity peace Village in Kuron is called a peace Academy?
These are my 28 words which made Holy Trinity Peace Village to become a peace Academy which should make each one of us to become a peacemaker: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, COMPASSION, SYMPATHY, KINDNESS, TRUTHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL.HUMILITY, POVERTY, FORGIVENESS, MERCY,
FRIENDSHIP, TRUST, UNITY, PURITY, FAITH and HOPE.
These are twenty: the other eight are:
I LOVE YOU, I MISS YOU, THANK YOU, I FORGIVE, WE FORGET, TOGETHER, lAM WRONG, I AM SORRY. Truly, I tell you, living among ourselves in the spirit of these twenty eight words, we can bring lasting peace to the whole world.
Thank you for your prayers and happy birthday wishes for my 80th Year Birthday. YOUNG in my heart Any donation offered for my 80th birthday. I shall use planting Teak and Fruit Trees
for the sustainable future of HOLY TRINITY PEACE VILLAGE in KURON.