Vatican City, Dec 16, 2016 / 11:45 am
Pope Francis met Friday morning with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón and former president Senator Álvaro Uribe Vélez, as the country works to finalize a peace accord which would end a 52-year conflict between the government and rebel groups.
Meeting first with Santos, "the discussions took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, confirming the existing good relations between the Holy See and Colombia," a Dec. 16 communique from the Vatican stated.
"Appreciation was expressed for the Pope's support during the peace process, along with the hope that such peace be stable and lasting."
Pope Francis afterwards met with Uribe individually and then together with Santos, where they spoke about the "culture of encounter" and "emphasized the importance of sincere dialogue between all members of Colombian society," the communique related.