Catholic Church leader Pope Francis met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Sunday while calling on “the beloved children of Colombia” to “continue to work for peace.”
The pope did so in his weekly prayer that on Sunday briefly was dedicated to the canonization of Colombia’s first ever Saint, Laura of Saint Catherine of Siena.
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Through the intercession of Mother Laura Montoya, the Lord grant new missionary and evangelizing impulse to the Church, and, inspired by the example of harmony and reconciliation of this new saint, may the beloved children of Colombia continue to work for peace and fair development of their homeland.
Santos, who briefly met Catholic Christians’ highest spiritual leader, said on his website he hopes “that prayer really helps us to reconcile, so that we find the peace Colombia has been looking for for so long.”
According to the president, the canonization of Saint Laura and the words of the pope “fill one with hope for a better future.”