On the occasion of the presidential inauguration of Abelardo de la Espriella, who will assume the Presidency of Colombia for the constitutional period 2026-2030, the archbishop of Cali, Monsignor Luis Fernando Rodríguez Velásquez, made a call to the Church and all Colombians to unite in prayer for the country and for the new authorities.
The prelate urged Colombians to ask God to enlighten President Abelardo de la Espriella and his government team, so that his management is inspired by the common good and the principles of peace, justice, and solidarity. The presidential inauguration will take place this August 7 in Santiago de Cali.
A call inspired by the Social Doctrine of the Church
In his message, Monsignor Rodríguez recalled the call from the First Letter to Timothy to raise "supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings for all humanity and for all authorities," and invited Colombians to live this moment with a spirit of prayer and hope.
The archbishop emphasized that prayer also seeks that the new government exercises its service guided by the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church, taken up by Pope Leo XIV in the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. In this framework he highlighted the dignity of the person, the value of work, the universal destination of goods, solidarity, subsidiarity, the care of creation, peace, and fraternity.
As part of the proposed actions to accompany the start of the new government, the archbishop invited that the Eucharistic adoration on August 6 be dedicated especially to pray for Colombia. "Prayer is our main contribution to the construction of the civilization of love," he expressed.
Mass for the homeland and a plea for reconciliation
In addition to this, the archbishop invited the Catholic communities to celebrate on August 7 the Mass for the Homeland, whose prayer entrusts to God the wisdom of the authorities, the honesty of the citizens, and the consolidation of peace and justice in Colombia.
The message concluded with a prayer inspired by the religious symbols that distinguish Cali. The prelate asked that Christ reign in hearts as "King of peace," he reminded that "nothing and no one will be able to separate us from the love of Christ" and entrusted Colombia to the protection of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá to achieve peace and reconciliation.
You may be interested in: The Pope will be in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. Cardinal Castillo from Lima: "The Pope is coming back, he is returning home. We are happy
Subscribe for free to our Whatsapp channel https://bit.ly/4hbWWN0
Discover the new 2026 offer of courses, diplomas, and degrees at Cebitepal https://bit.ly/4aHAue1
Because we must care for those who protect creation, the podcast Life Hangs by a Thread arrives https://bit.ly/46cGUiB
