Pope Francis Welcomed by Paraguayan President

Pope Francis was welcomed by Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes in the Presidential Palace, in the capital city of Asuncion, on Friday.

Cartes welcomed the visit by the leader of the Catholic Church and thanked him for his admiration toward the Paraguayan nation.

“The blessing of your pastoral visit covers my nation in a mantle of faith and hope,” said the Paraguayan president.

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The speech delivered by the Pope made reference to the historic Triple Alliance War, which began in 1864 when Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina fought against Paraguay. The war left hundreds of thousands of Paraguayan men dead.

This why the pope praised Paraguayan women during his speech, and highlighted the memory of thousands of Paraguayans killed which have been forgotten by history. 

“On their shoulders, mothers, wives, widows have been able to pull forward their country. God bless the Paraguayan woman,” said Francis.

The thousands of forgotten Paraguayans was also signaled by several analysts as a reference to the bloody dictatorship (1954-1989) headed by right-wing dictator General Alfredo Strossner.

The spiritual leader also reminded the importance of the role played by the Church in helping to tackle contemporary issues.

“(We) the pastors are also called to build a better world,” he said.

The pope made an important plea to stop corruption in a country that traditionally stands among the most corrupt in the world.

“The love for the mother land must bloom from the firm will of ending with corruption,” he told his audience, made up by government officials and diplomats.

Pope Francis urged Paraguayans to resolve their conflicts in a peaceful way and praised the democratic values contained in the country's Constitution, while calling for a participatory democracy.

After both speeches were read, the president invited the pope to sit next to him as the Paraguayan Philharmonic gave a concert in his honor.