medellin colombia pope francis saturday visit medellin epicenter colombia narco war 1980s ask god convert hearts drug assassins cut short many young live penultimate day colombia francis fly medellin city northwest capital notorious stomp ground drug lord pablo escobar unscripted comment last event day say could leave without mention painful memory many young live truncate discard destroy ask listeners ask god forgiveness destroy dream many young people ask lord convert hearts ask end defeat young humanity medellin francis visit city transform since predecessor pope john paul visit 1986. rife violence among cartels paramilitary group guerrillas rag poor comuna neighborhoods outskirts city herald model urban development instal cable cars steep andean slop surround save working-class residents punish climb build libraries section sit gun battle fear drug trafficker escobar medellin infamous resident gun city u.s.-backed operation 1993. recently resurrect character popular netflix series narcos start day francis say mass urge colombians help fellow citizens hunger food dignity god press appeal south american country tackle social inequality speak homily hundreds thousands people muddy field francis urge colombians get involve help embrace act non-violence reconciliation peace leader world 1.2 billion roman catholics bring message national reconciliation country try heal wound leave 50-year civil war bitter disagreements last year peace deal leftist guerrillas say let leniently friday tropical city villavicencio pontiff ask colombians skeptical deal farc guerrillas open reconciliation repent speak hours top rebel leader ask pontiff forgiveness .. francis also use trip predominantly roman catholic country denounce social inequality still plague colombia extreme poverty rural areas call laws tackle structural cause problems say spur violence christians tell ecstatic crowd mass call upon brave evangelical courage spring know many hungry hunger god many people hunger god hunger dignity deprive visit city cartagena sunday leave rome night pope medellin recall 'painful memory narco war