Pope Francis takes on religious intolerance in Sri Lanka, just five years after the country's brutal civil war

Pope Francis made a trip to Sri Lanka in order to support the country's fledgling religious tolerance movement and the end of the civil war.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Francis' visit is the first papal visit to the country since 2009, when the civil war ended.

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Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, took over less than a week before on January 9, and met with Francis. Sirisena has promised to end the religious oppression that has been a hallmark of Sri Lanka in decades past.

In front of a massive crowd at the airport, Francis said that the only way Sri Lanka could extend their recent peace is by "cultivating those virtues which foster reconciliation, solidarity and peace."

To rebuild Sri Lanka, Sirisena's new government will have to promote "human dignity, respect for human rights, and the full inclusion of each member of society."

The government must also be truthful with the people-possibly referring to long standing accusations of atrocities committed during the war, which the government has denied-"not for the sake of opening old wounds, but rather as a necessary means of promoting justice, healing and unity."

On January 14, Francis will conduct a Mass in Colombo, the largest city and financial capital of Sri Lanka, during which he will canonize Sri Lanka's first saint, 17th century missionary Joseph Vaz. Authorities estimate that there may be as many as one million people in attendance.

The civil war, which lasted 26 years, ended with the defeat of Tamil rebels. United Nations reports believed both sides were responsible for deliberate atrocities against civilians.

Religious violence was also part of the conflict. About 7% of the country's population is Christian-mostly Catholic-another 13% are Hindus, 10% are Muslim and 70% are Buddhist.

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Pope John Paul II was the last pope to visit Sri Lanka, and his trip was actively boycotted by Buddhist leaders. However, Pope Francis has received no such treatment, and instead is expected to hold multiple mixed faith prayer sessions, including one with Buddhists.

This trip is part of a six-day Asian tour, the Pope's next stop is the Philippines.

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