File photo of Pope Francis
Pope Francis said Sunday that Colombia cannot afford "yet another failure" in peace talks to end a guerrilla war that has burned for more than half a century.
Speaking at the end of mass during his visit to Havana, where the two sides have been negotiating for nearly three years, the pope called on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government to achieve a lasting peace deal.
"We do not have the right to allow ourselves yet another failure," he said of the talks, the latest effort to end a civil war that began in 1964 and has killed more than 200,000 people.
"May the blood shed by thousands of innocent people during long decades of armed conflict... sustain all the efforts being made, including those on this beautiful island, to achieve definitive reconciliation," the pope said in his Angelus address to hundreds of thousands of people on the Cuban capital's Revolution Square.
"Thus may the long night of pain and violence, with the support of all Colombians, become an unending day of concord, justice, fraternity and love... so that there may be lasting peace."
The FARC, which had asked for a meeting with the pope - something that did not make it onto his agenda for the three-night trip - said his appeal "strengthens" the peace process.
"We're sure many people (in Colombia) now see the peace-building process with more hope," said commander Pastor Alape, a negotiator for the leftist guerrilla group.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his part thanked the pope on Twitter and vowed: "We will continue on the path of peace and reconciliation."
The peace talks in Havana, which opened in November 2012, have reached partial deals on several issues, including fighting the drug trafficking that has fueled the conflict.
But a definitive peace accord remains elusive.
The FARC have been observing a unilateral ceasefire since July, and President Santos has ordered the military to suspend air strikes on the rebels.
Previous efforts to end the conflict have always fallen apart amid renewed fighting - the last time in the early 2000s.