Colombian church officials: Pope Francis to visit in Sept.
BOGOTA — Pope Francis will visit Colombia in September as part of a trip to celebrate the South American nation’s steps toward ending five decades of armed conflict.
It will be the first papal visit to the staunchly Roman Catholic country in 31 years.
Vatican envoy Ettore Balestrero made the announcement in Bogota on Friday alongside President Juan Manuel Santos. The trip was simultaneously announced by the Vatican in a brief statement.
The first Latin American pope will arrive in Bogota on Sept. 6 and visit three other cities — Medellin, Cartagena and Villavicencio — before returning to Rome on Sept. 11.