(Vatican Radio) Colombia’s bishops have appealed to the Government and to the National Liberation Army (ELN) to agree on a bilateral ceasefire.The appeal came in a statement, signed by the President of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga and by other bishops including the Archbishop of Cali, Dario de Jesus Monsalve Mejia who heads the Catholic Commission for dialogue with ELN.Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni: “We wish to fuel dialogue until a final agreement is reached between the parties (…) with the aim of ending the armed conflict” the statement reads.The bishops continue pointing out that “happily, Pope Francis’ Apostolic visit is drawing close and this urges all to find common ground, without any exclusions, in order for each party to be able to take the first step. And they express their support for the ongoing negotiations between the Government and ELN rebels in Quito, Ecuador. &ldq...
(Vatican Radio) Colombia’s bishops have appealed to the Government and to the National Liberation Army (ELN) to agree on a bilateral ceasefire.
The appeal came in a statement, signed by the President of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga and by other bishops including the Archbishop of Cali, Dario de Jesus Monsalve Mejia who heads the Catholic Commission for dialogue with ELN.
Listen to the report by Linda Bordoni:
“We wish to fuel dialogue until a final agreement is reached between the parties (…) with the aim of ending the armed conflict” the statement reads.
The bishops continue pointing out that “happily, Pope Francis’ Apostolic visit is drawing close and this urges all to find common ground, without any exclusions, in order for each party to be able to take the first step.
And they express their support for the ongoing negotiations between the Government and ELN rebels in Quito, Ecuador.
“Thus, the bishops say, we appeal for a ceasefire and the bilateral cessation of hostilities; that it may represent an expression of your wish and of that of the Colombian people to receive the Holy Father with welcome for him as a person and for his message.”
A step such as this, the statement concludes, will significantly help to strengthen a social and political will for peace “which still wavers before the habit of resorting to violence and manipulating the truth”.
Pope Francis is scheduled to make a six-day trip to Colombia in September, with four cities on his itinerary, almost a year after the government and FARC rebels signed a major peace agreement.
Meanwhile members of ELN and government negotiators began talks in February in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, seeking to end more than five decades of conflict.
Since 1964, as many as 260,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in the civil war. International observers say that with more than 6.8 million forcibly displaced due to the conflict, Colombia has the world’s second largest population of internally displaced people, with Syria in first place.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has expressed his joy for the Pope’s upcoming visit and voiced his hope that Francis’ presence would help Colombians to unite around the “building of a more just and equitable country, with peace and more solidarity.”
Swiss Guard cadets prepare their armor in the guards' barracks at the Vatican on April 30, 2024. / Credit: Matthew Santucci/CNAVatican City, May 5, 2024 / 17:00 pm (CNA).For the newest class of 34 Swiss Guards who will be sworn in on Monday, their service is based on faith and a love for the Church and the pope, as storied as the uniform itself. "For me it was something, first and foremost, to give something to the Church, because the Catholic Church gave us a lot when I was a child and with this service, I can give something back," explained Nicolas Hirt, one of the new guards who hails from the Swiss canton of Fribourg. The cadets, joined by their instructors, gathered for a media event on April 30 in the courtyard behind the barracks adjacent to the Sant'Anna entrance, which was adorned with the flags from each of the Swiss cantons. The Swiss Guard's annual swea...
In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore. / Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesACI Prensa Staff, May 5, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, is inviting Catholics throughout the United States to join the May 22 "National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Sailors and People of the Sea," which this year will include a special prayer in memory of those affected by the catastrophic March 26 Baltimore bridge collapse. "Each year, we pray for those who work on the high seas and the ports. In a special way this year, we remember those who have been impacted by the collapse of the Key Bridge, particularly the six construction workers who perished in the bridge collapse, and for their families as they mourn the loss of their loved ones," Cahill said.On March 26, the container ship Dali suffered a power failure and collided with one of the bridge...
The "Holy Fire" is passed from inside Christ's tomb to pilgrims gathered inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jersusalem on May 4, 2024, for the annual Orthodox Christian ceremony, held on the day before Easter, according to the Julian calendar. / Credit: Marinella Bandini/CNAJerusalem, May 5, 2024 / 09:00 am (CNA).Pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday for the annual "Holy Fire" ceremony at the revered site of Jesus' burial and resurrection, an ancient custom considered by many believers to be a miraculous event that takes place the day before the Orthodox Christian celebration of Easter.For safety reasons, attendance at the May 4 event was capped at 4,200 people inside the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, though the crowds were more manageable and somewhat subdued this year because of a lack of pilgrims from the Palestinian territories and abroad due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.Israeli police man a checkpoint inside the Old City of Jerusalem duri...