In a message sent through the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis has called for “courage and creativity” in finding solutions for the ongoing peace process in Colombia.
The Holy Father’s message was sent to participants of the 18th Meeting of the Ordinary Jurisdiction on “Transitional Justice, Peace and Post-Conflict” that was held in Cartagena, Colombia. Many prominent judges including the president of Colombia’s Supreme Court, José Leonidas Bustos Martínez, were present at the meeting.
“The subject of this Meeting is of crucial importance for Colombia’s future, and in the present globalized time, it has a scope that goes beyond the national borders themselves,” Cardinal Parolin stated.
Cardinal Parolin also conveyed the Pope’s support in their work through prayer “so that, in the framework of institutionalism, they will contribute with courage and creativity to identify solutions that reinforce peace and justice, in respect of the national and international juridical order.”
He also expressed the Pope’s desire that the Meeting will contribute to creating a stable and lasting peace.
The conflict in Colombia, which has spanned almost 50 years between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government, has left an estimated 220,000 dead, over 25,000 missing and 30,000 people kidnapped. Peace talks between both parties began in 2012 and are taking place in Havana, Cuba.
