Prelate's Trip to Colombia

Bishop Javier Echevarría has made a brief pastoral visit to the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Colombia.

(Click on "cc" in the lower right hand corner for English subtitles.)

After visiting the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago, the Prelate traveled to Colombia. There he met with many people in Bogota, the University of the Sabana and Medellin. The last time he visited Colombia was in 2001.

On Tuesday August 11 in Bogota, he met in the morning with over a hundred priests from various parts of the country, and in the afternoon he went to the University of the Sabana for a get-together with about 6,000 people. “Colombians have a great heart that should reach out beyond the country’s borders in prayer for all mankind,” he said. And he asked them to pray especially for Pope Francis, for the sick, for children, and for families.

One of the questions came from a doctor who teaches at the University, a practicing Muslim and father of a family, who asked how to strengthen inter-religious dialogue and overcome intolerance in society. “In 1950 Saint Josemaria Escriva spoke with the Holy See about the possibility of naming Cooperators of Opus Dei from other faiths,” Bishop Echevarría replied. The Prelate insisted that we need to respect the faith of other people, “since we are all brothers and sisters and here people will always find understanding.”

In the get-together with about 4,000 people in Medellin, he began by speaking about forgiveness, reconciliation and the desire for peace among all Colombians. Then came questions about following Christ closely, passing on the faith to children, the need to bring souls to God….

As usual, he ended the get-together by asking people to pray for the Pope; on this occasion, he also asked that they pray especially for the synod on the family that will take place in October. Before leaving he recommended that everyone study the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as he himself does, to review the sure doctrine of the Catholic faith.

(Click on the above flicker file for photos from his visit to Medellin.)