SECURITY THREATS: Pope Francis' safety questioned, cancels South Sudan trip

Any plans to visit the war-torn country were canceled for this year.

Pope Francis will not be visiting South Sudan this year.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Recent reports suggested the pope would make a visit to South Sudan later this year, but these plans have been postponed due to security concerns.

According to Vatican spokesman, Greg Burke, confirmed the trip, previously scheduled with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, will no longer be happening at this time.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. Since 2013, the young country has been war-torn, with around 300,000 people being killed and three million displaced, according to the Catholic Herald.

Pope Francis was invited to the country by senior clergy from the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian Churches when they met him in Rome last year. The Pontiff stated the Church leaders asked him "to please, come to South Sudan, even for a day, but don't come alone, come with Justin Welby."

"We are looking at whether it is possible, or if the situation down there is too dangerous ... But we have to do it because they - the three [Christian communities] - together desire peace, and they are working together for peace," Pope Francis expressed in February.

The Holy Father hoped his trip would help bring peace to South Sudan.

Alternative options were presented to the pope's office on how he could visit the country safely, including only visiting for a few hours and only staying in the airport, but both were not accepted.

Pope Francis reluctantly canceled his trip to South Sudan "after the information coming to his desk left him with few alternatives."

He is currently still scheduled to visit Columbia from September 6 to 11.

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