Seeing the Pope

PATERSON  Pope Francis’ recent pastoral visit from Sept. 6 to 11 to Colombia was a great “blessing” to the people of the northwestern South American nation, who welcomed the pontiff’s powerful message of peace and forgiveness — this after the government and a major rebel group signed a peace accord last year after more than five decades of conflict that cost roughly 22,000 lives.

That was the observation of Colombian-born Father Brando Ibarra, pastor of St. Mary Help of Christians Parish here, who returned to his homeland to see Pope Francis on his final day in Cartagena, a port city. There, the Holy Father praised St. Peter Claver for reaching out to countless African slaves of the 17th century, who landed in the port of Cartagena — only to be sold, during the colonial period. He honored the saint, a beloved son of the city, for his ability to recognize the God-given dignity of the slaves and then called on people to minister to the marginalized people in society. During his visit to Colombia, the Pope — the first Latin American pontiff — led a large prayer of reconciliation that united victims of Colombia’s conflict with former guerrilla fighters, according to news reports.

“It [the Pope’s visit] was a blessing,” said Father Ibarra, who attended a noon Angelus in front of the Church of St. Peter Claver in Cartagena and an afternoon Mass in Contecar. Joining the priest on the journey was Colombian-born Maria Torres, a parishioner of St. Anthony of Padua, Passaic, and director of religious education at St. Mary Assumption Parish, Passaic, who also works at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Saddle Brook, her daughter, Lisa Munster, a cantor for the Paterson Diocese and Newark Archdiocese, and Father Rafael Castillo, Cartagena’s vicar of social justice, who had invited him. “The people had a sense of joy and a sense of hope that is starting anew in Colombia,” the priest said.

At the start of his day in Cartagena, Pope Francis suffered a minor mishap — hitting his head on his popemobile, as it made a sudden stop, surrounded by enthusiastic faithful. While standing in the vehicle, he lost his balance and received a black left eye and a cut over his eyebrow, which was bandaged quickly — but not before members of the crowd had expressed some concern.

Father Ibarra said he was situated close to the Holy Father during the outdoor Angelus, where he spoke about the “dignity of the human person.”

The Pope said that “St. Peter Claver embraced black people. All we need to do to reach out to people is show them kindness, which will allow us to spread the Gospel, as he did,” said Father Ibarra, who first saw Pope Francis at a papal audience while in Rome in May for a meeting.

Also in Cartagena, the Holy Father blessed the first stone houses for the homeless of Talitha Qum in St. Francis of Assisi Square in a slum of the city, prayed at St. Claver’s tomb and visited the saint’s shrine house. At the Mass in the afternoon, Father Ibarra said that he sat in the front row of the church, close to the Pope.

“Pope Francis had a message of respect and love,” Father Ibarra said. “The Pope’s visit is a beacon of hope. He has inspired the people to improve the poor area,” he said.

At the start of his trip in Bogota, Colombia’s capital, Pope Francis met with authorities at the Plaza de Armas de la Casa de Nariño and visited President Juan Manuel Santo in Protocol Hall of the Casa de Nariño. He visited the local cathedral, blessed faithful from the balcony of the Cardinal’s Palace and celebrated Mass in Simon Bolivar Park.

The Pope’s trip included a visit to Villavicencio, one of the hardest hit areas during the prolonged conflict. He celebrated Mass, spoke at the great prayer meeting for national reconciliation in the Parque Las Malocas and paused at the Cross of Reconciliation in the Parque de los Fundadores, according to previous news reports.

“Reconciliation is achieved and consolidated with contributions by all. It lays the groundwork for the future and allows hope to flourish. All efforts at peace without a sincere commitment to reconciliation will be a failure,” the Holy Father said in his homily, during the Mass with 400,000 faithful.

The Pope also offered prayers for reconciliation in Colombia, a country deeply polarized following the signing of a peace agreement last year between Santos’ administration and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group, which disarmed and became a political party. This low-intensity, asymmetric war started in the mid-1960s between the government and a number of different factions attempting to increase their influence in Colombia, including paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and left-wing guerrillas.

Pope Francis also traveled to Medellin, where he celebrated Mass at the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport and met with priests, religious, consecrated people, seminarians and their families in the La Macarena indoor stadium.

“Pope Francis was happy to be here. Maybe because he speaks Spanish, it was easier for him to tell jokes and relate to people,” said Father Ibarra, who could not return to his hometown in Colombia — he left there in 1991 to come to the U.S. — because of the long distance from Cartagena. “The Colombian people warmly welcomed the Pope. It is a very Catholic country and the people are happy by nature, even though they have their own problems,” he said.