The Pontiff and Colombia

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The announcement by the Vatican that Pope Francis has scheduled an official visit to Colombia in 2016 and part of a Latin American tour was warmly received in this Catholic country and a clear sign of support by the Holy Sea of the peace talks currently taking place between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Havana.

The letter communicating Pope Francis’ trip to Colombia came as the Pontiff was conducting Holy Week ceremonies from St.Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, and the 78-year-old Argentine Pontiff urged Colombians to be “collaborators in the construction of peace.”

Shortly after the announcement, President Juan Manuel Santos stated on Twitter, that he “will receive the Pope with open arms.” Although no official date has been set for the much anticipated visit to Colombia, many believe  it could come on the heels of an official announcement by both the Government and FARC negotiators that a peace agreement has been reached, and possibly, before a final text is put to a national vote.

Understanding the challenges in Cuba, the Vatican’s letter went on to express that Colombians  “should not lose energy or hope in the face of this project’s difficulties.”

Pope Francis’ trip also sends a message of the need for “reconciliation” amongst Colombians as FARC and the Government begin discussions on the difficult 5th item of the Agenda regarding victims compensation and how to begin demobilizing up to 30,000 FARC fighters.

One of the most contentious issues at the negotiating table is also how much, if any, prison time the FARC commanders could serve.

A visit by Pope Francis to Colombia could involve a visit to the nation’s most important religious shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, in Chiquinquira.

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