Pope Francis arrived in Colombia on Wednesday with a message of unity for a nation deeply divided by a peace deal that ended a five-decade war with Marxist FARC rebels but left many victims of the bloodshed wary of the fraught healing process. Francis, making his 20th foreign trip since becoming pontiff in 2013 and his fifth to his native Latin America, started his visit in Colombian capital Bogota. He will travel later in the week to the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.

The Vatican’s diplomatic corps is among the oldest in existence, with some of its bilateral relationships, such as with Spain, dating to the 15th century. More than once, people have questioned the need for the Vatican to have such a sovereign standing. Yet arguments in favor of the Vatican’s unique status are also abundant, including its track record for making a difference […]