Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Pope Says He Came to Colombia to Learn

by Diana Logreira

   BOGOTA --

   In an emotional speech to thousands of people crowding Bolivar Plaza in
   Colombia's capital city, Pope Francis said he had "come to learn from
   you, from your faith ... in the face of adversity."

   The 80-year-old pontiff spoke Thursday morning from a balcony
   overlooking the plaza, which fronts Bogota's main cathedral. Admirers
   cheered, danced and waved Colombian flags.

   Smiling, the pope said young people represented hope for reconciliation
   in the country, ravaged by five decades of guerrilla fighting and
   divided by the anger some Colombians had over the government's peace
   deal last November with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
   (FARC).

   At the plaza, Francis stressed the importance of the peace process. He
   said his visit was meant to express "appreciation for the efforts made
   over the decades to end armed violence and find ways of
   reconciliation."

   On the first full day of his five-day visit to this heavily Catholic
   country, Francis met with President Juan Manuel Santos and first lady
   Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, with other government and religious leaders,
   and with young people.

   In meeting with the pope, Santos recalled his country's turmoil: "For
   over half a century, we resigned ourselves to violence on our soil, and
   its ashes -- of resentment, pain, of vengeance -- are still ardent
   embers that we must extinguish."

   To ease those tensions and prepare Colombians for a better future,
   Santos' administration has promoted training.

   "Education is somehow what most helps us build that different country,"
   Education Minister Yaneth Giha told VOA. "The pope's visit helps us to
   reinforce the message that we are on the right path."

   Francis met privately with Santos. Later, Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa
   handed him the keys to the city in a brief, symbolic ceremony.

   Signs of the Catholic faithful extended well beyond plazas and other
   locations where the pope was scheduled to appear.

   Arturo Barreiro, a taxi driver in Bogota for 30 years, decorated his
   cab with symbols of his Catholic faith, hoping that Francis might bless
   them. Barreiro's icons include a banner with Francis' image and a
   rosary with the likeness of the late John Paul II, pope from 1978 to
   2005.

   At Bogota's Hotel Tequendama, manager Ana Araceli Jara and longtime
   resident Domenique Garelli created a small prayer room to mark Francis'
   visit.

   The hotel's pastry chef, Amparo Parra, led a team of 10 in making a
   butter carving with the pope's likeness. It took them three days to
   create the bust.

   The streets of Bogota were cleared of traffic ahead of the pope's drive
   to Simon Bolivar Park, where he performed a Mass before about 550,000
   people.