The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will make a six-day trip to Colombia in September with four cities on his itinerary, Bogotá, Villavicencio, Medellín and Cartagena. The trip will take place almost a year after the government and FARC rebels signed a major peace agreement, which the Vatican had encouraged and pushed.
“Accepting the invitation of the President of the Republic and the Colombian bishops, His Holiness the Pope Francis will make an Apostolic Trip to Colombia from 6 to 11 September 2017,” a communiqué from the Vatican said.
The Pope’s trip was officially announced in Colombia by Bishop Fabio Suescún Mutis, head of Colombia’s military diocese. “The Holy Father is a missionary for reconciliation,” he said. “His presence helps us to discover that yes, it’s possible to re-unite as a nation in order to learn to look at ourselves again with eyes of hope and mercy.” Suescún is in charge of the preparation committee for the trip.
The trip will mark the third time Francis has visited his native South America since becoming Pope, first to Rio de Janeiro, the second to Bolivia, Ecuador and Paraguay.
Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos expressed his enthusiasm by saying, “To have the Pope with us for four days, to know that he’s traveling exclusively to give a voice of encouragement and faith to Colombians, is a privilege that fills us with gratitude… We will receive (Francis) with open arms and hearts, as a messenger of peace and reconciliation.” Santos said that on many occasions Pope Francis “gave courage and impelled” the peace process forward.
“We have already begun to prepare” Santos said, “and will continue to prepare so that this apostolic journey of Pope Francis in Colombia will bear the greatest of fruits of harmony and unity in our country.”
“Colombia wonders after…” See Revelation 13:3
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