Pope Francis, who tirelessly advocated for peace and reconciliation, has died at the age of 88. Pope Francis’ death was announced by the Vatican on Easter Monday, just hours after the Pontiff delivered the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” announced Cardinal Kevin Farrell. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
Among the most poignant moments of his papacy was his Apostolic Visit to Colombia in September 2017 – an unprecedented four-day tour that came just months after the signing of the Final Accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The signing ceremony inside Bogotá’s Colón Theatre on November 24, 2016, between President Juan Manuel Santos and FARC commander Rodrigo Londoño, known as ‘Timochenko’, aimed to end more than a half-century of internal conflict with the Marxist guerrilla.
Upon his arrival at Bogotá’s El Dorado Airport, Pope Francis was welcomed by then-President Juan Manuel Santos and First Lady María Clemencia Rodríguez. His message throughout the visit was one of healing, forgiveness, and unity in a deeply divided nation navigating the early stages of post-conflict peace.
In Villavicencio, on the third day of his visit, the pontiff met with victims of the internal conflict that claimed more than 260,000 lives and displaced an estimated eight million. As Colombia prepared for the reintegration of former FARC combatants – many of whom were granted amnesty – Pope Francis emphasized the moral and spiritual urgency to forgive.
“Let us heal that pain and welcome every person who has committed offenses, who admits their failures, is repentant, and truly wants to make reparation,” he said.
To those still skeptical of a deeply polarized peace process, the pope offered a powerful appeal: “Take the first step – to be the first to love, to build bridges, to create fraternity.”
The trip, which included stops in Medellín and Cartagena, marked the first papal visit to Colombia in 31 years. Vatican officials noted the extraordinary significance of Francis choosing to spend the entire tour in a single nation – an indication of the priority he placed on Colombia, as the world’s first Latin American Pope.
“It is rare that the Pope visits only one country, and especially that he stops there for four days. This shows the importance that Francis attributes to this trip and, ultimately, to Colombia,” said Apostolic Nuncio Ettore Balestrero at the time.
In Bogotá’s Parque Simón Bolívar, nearly half a million faithful gathered for Mass, a testament to the weight of the moment. In Cartagena, the final leg of his journey, Francis honored St. Pedro Claver, a 17th-century Jesuit known for ministering to enslaved Africans – an act symbolizing the pope’s enduring commitment to human dignity and social justice.
“Every effort at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation is destined to fail,” Francis warned during an open-air Mass in Villavicencio. “Reconciliation means opening a door to every person who has experienced the tragic reality of conflict.”
Since his visit, Pope Francis continued to monitor Colombia’s post-accord progress and held an audience with President Iván Duque on October 22, 2018, at the Holy See. The Vatican said that during the talks there was “special reference to matters of mutual interest such as the protection of life, the fight against corruption and drug trafficking, the promotion of legality and care for the environment.” In a formal letter to President Duque, Pope Francis urged the conservative leader to “foster the building of an increasingly habitable world and a more humane society, where all of us have a place and no one is ever left behind.”
On January 19, 2024, the Holy Father met with Colombia’s first leftist president, Gustavo Petro, at the Vatican and reaffirmed “the positive collaboration to promote dialogue, social justice, and reconciliation.” During the pope’s long hospital stay with bilateral pneumonia, Petro expressed on social media that Francis “is a true friend, the kind of friend that fights an entire life.” The president went on to write: “He is a companion of the struggle, the journey, and the entire continent.”
After 38 days in hospital, Pope Francis returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery and made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday, the most important date in the Christian calendar.
As the world mourns the death of Father Bergoglio, his call for forgiveness and unity in Colombia remains a defining chapter in his legacy – a legacy that bridged faith and diplomacy in one of the most painful, yet defining, chapters of the country’s history.
With the news of Pope Francis’ passing, former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Juan Manuel Santos issued the following words: “I mourn, from the bottom of my heart, the passing of the Holy Father Francis. A kind, charismatic, humble human being and a close friend of Colombia. He will be greatly missed for the love and compassion he radiated. The message of reconciliation he left us during his historic visit remains more relevant than ever, for our country and for the world”.
