President-elect De la Espriella of Colombia visits Catholic shrines to pray for the nation
President‑elect Abelardo de la Espriella began a pilgrimage to major Catholic shrines across Colombia to entrust the nation to God's protection after winning the presidency. He visited the shrines of El Morro, Our Lady of the Remedies in La Guajira, the Lord of Miracles basilica in Sucre, and St. Peter Claver in Cartagena, praying for healthcare workers, national security, peace, and the vulnerable. The Redemptorist community clarified that his visits were personal and not political endorsements, emphasizing the shrine’s neutrality. De la Espriella also engaged with evangelical Christians, signing a “Commitment to Life and Family” pledge, and will be inaugurated on Aug. 7, succeeding Gustavo Petro.
3 months ago
President‑elect Abelardo De la Espriella began a “pilgrimage of hope” across Colombia, visiting major Catholic shrines to consecrate his new mandate and pray for the nation’s peace, health, security and the most vulnerable citizens. 1 2
De la Espriella announced on 26 June that he would travel to several Marian and saintly sites, describing the journey as a “thanksgiving tour” and entrusting Colombia to God’s protection. 1
At the shrine of El Morro he consecrated his life, his public service and the whole country to the protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. 2
He prayed for healthcare workers and the sick, invoking the intercession of Our Lady of the Remedies. 1
There he asked for Colombia’s security, peace, the safety of security forces and the protection of every Colombian family. 2
He concluded the first day at the shrine of St Peter Claver, thanking God and pleading that the nation never lose sight of the most vulnerable, so that justice, solidarity and dignity reach every corner. 1
Across the sites De la Espriella emphasized:
These themes echo his campaign messages of unity and hope. 2
The visits occurred after his narrow runoff victory on 20 June, succeeding left‑wing President Gustavo Petro. To avoid political misinterpretation, the Redemptorist community that runs the Lord of Miracles basilica issued a statement that the shrine did not endorse any candidate and that the president‑elect’s visit was a personal act of devotion. 1
Earlier, on 15 April, De la Espriella attended an evangelical gathering at the Tabernacle of Faith in Bogotá and signed the “Commitment to Life and Family” promoted by the United for Life platform, showing outreach beyond Catholic circles. 2
De la Espriella is scheduled to take office on 7 August 2026, beginning a 2026‑2030 term and marking a transition from Colombia’s first left‑ist president to a leader who publicly places his governance under Catholic prayer. 1*
Assess Catholic pilgrimages’ influence on Colombian political legitimacy
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Catholic pilgrimages and shrines do not “create” political legitimacy in the strict sense (governments are judged by justice and the common good), but they can support legitimacy indirectly—by shaping consciences, strengthening social solidarity, and fostering a public, charitable witness that encourages reconciliation and peaceful civic life in countries such as Colombia.
In Catholic moral teaching, legitimate authority is oriented to the common good and must use morally acceptable means. In other words, political legitimacy is not primarily a matter of religious symbolism or popularity, but of moral credibility and justice.
“Authority is exercised legitimately if it is committed to the common good of society. To attain this it must employ morally acceptable means.”
So, pilgrimages can influence legitimacy only insofar as they help society and rulers move toward justice, peace, and morally acceptable governance.
Catholic teaching presents shrines/pilgrimages as places where faith becomes concrete and shapes how people evaluate moral and social questions. St. John Paul II explicitly connects shrines with social duties and transformation toward justice and peace—peace and solidarity flow from reconciliation with God.
In Colombia, St. John Paul II also describes the Church’s role as forming Christian consciences and “criteria” rooted in transcendent values, so that Catholics promote justice and peace with respect for civil authority.
Assessment: pilgrimages can make political claims (and public programs) more morally intelligible to ordinary people—because pilgrim communities absorb a shared moral vocabulary (justice, peace, reconciliation, protection of life). That can reinforce legitimacy when political actors align with these values.
Modern Catholic magisterial teaching emphasizes that authentic popular piety can build community and have effects on society, including how political and institutional relations develop. Pope Francis warns against the “privatization of faith” and teaches that authentic faith involves public commitment and witness, including support for human development, social progress, and care for creation.
He also states that popular piety—processions, the Rosary, and other devotions—can “nurture ‘constructive citizenship’.”
Assessment: in Colombia, where shrines and pilgrimages often bring together diverse regions and social classes, these events can reduce fragmentation and increase the social trust needed for institutions to be accepted as legitimate (especially after conflict).
St. John Paul II describes shrines as environments where pilgrims encounter God and also demonstrate love through works of charity and service to the needy, and he presents them as places where people become more aware of social duties.
Pope Francis likewise describes shrines as evangelizing spaces where charity and the sacraments—especially confession and Eucharist—help guide pilgrims to more responsible involvement and a witness of charity that flows into everyday life.
The broader Colombian political context matters here. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ backgrounder notes that the Church has supported reconciliation and the search for negotiated solutions in Colombia’s peace process.
Assessment: while the backgrounder does not attribute the peace process directly to pilgrimages, it does establish that the Church’s peace-support role is part of the legitimacy environment in Colombia. Pilgrimages can be one concrete way that reconciliation culture is sustained among the faithful, thereby strengthening the moral acceptance of peace-oriented political structures.
Catholic teaching supports collaboration between Church and civil authority, described as “respectful and loyal,” for the good of society—meaning the Church does not replace civil government.
This matters for political legitimacy: pilgrimages typically express faith without claiming the right to govern. Where political leaders participate as guests (or are encouraged to respect the moral message), legitimacy can be reinforced through shared moral commitments rather than through coercion.
Catholic sources explicitly describe Colombia’s strong Marian devotional landscape: many sanctuaries and a “manto precioso” of Marian shrines across regions.
St. Paul VI also refers to Colombia’s long Christian faith and links major Catholic events with hopes for “greater virtues” social life can benefit from.
And St. John Paul II announced an apostolic journey explicitly framed as a marian pilgrimage to Colombia’s patron sanctuary, alongside an “evangelizing pilgrimage” to the whole people.
Assessment: such framing tends to produce a public memory in which political order is judged—implicitly and sometimes explicitly—by its alignment with a moral-cultural Catholic horizon (justice, peace, uprightness, respect for life). That can strengthen legitimacy when political leadership is seen as honoring those moral expectations.
Catholic teaching includes safeguards against misuse or disorder. Benedict XIV emphasizes that pilgrimages must be organized properly by those who direct the churches and be “free from all scandal.”
There is also a structural limit: because legitimate authority depends on common good and morally acceptable means, pilgrimages cannot serve as a substitute for justice, transparency, and moral governance.
Assessment: if pilgrimages are used to polarize, to idolize political figures, or to bypass moral standards, their effect on legitimacy can become negative (undermining trust and producing scandal, contrary to the conditions required for healthy pilgrimage practice).
Catholic pilgrimages in Colombia can influence political legitimacy mainly through indirect moral and social channels:
But they do so without replacing the Church’s respect for civil authority and without granting legitimacy by religious participation alone; legitimacy remains grounded in the common good and morally acceptable means.