In the commemoration of the Day of the Faithful Departed, the General Commander of the Military Forces, General Helder Fernan Giraldo Bonilla, accompanied the families of the soldiers of Colombian National Army, the Navy and the Colombian Aerospace Force who gave their lives in the line of duty at the Jardines de Paz cemetery in Bogotá.
During a solemn military ceremony and mass, a wreath laying ceremony took place before the monument of the Fallen in Action, in memory of the brave soldiers who have left for the throne of the immortals leaving in their homes and in the barracks, an irreparable void in the heart and in the memory of relatives and comrades the faithful testimony of superior heroism.
“Their names, their smiles, their wisdom and the warmth of their hearts have been imprinted in the history of this country and in every man and woman who is part of the institution, because they are a motivation to move forward in the purpose of safeguarding our people and liberating them of the threats that hang over them, snuffing out so many lives,” said the General Commander of the Military Forces.
The General Commander of the Military Forces on behalf of the soldiers of land, sea, air and river and their families remembered those who left on the inevitable journey to eternity, leaving a halo of light that impels us to work tirelessly so that their sacrifice is not in vain.
He in the same way recognized the fortitude and admirable tenacity of those who have lost their loved ones in the line of duty. "You who have remained standing despite the pain of the departure of your loved ones, are in the same way consolidated as an example of strength and love for this country, because you have in the same way become part of the sacrifices and struggles that have had to be faced in order to build a society that we can inherit to our children."
A little bit of history
All saints' Day is commemorated in Colombia on the first of November, and on the second of November the day of the dead or day of the faithful departed is commemorated, a date that was established by the tenth and eleventh centuries to talk about the three states of the church: pilgrim, purgative and heaven, whose objective is to pray for those who have finished their earthly life and, in the Catholic case, for those who are still in a state of purification in purgatory and during this day the loved ones who have already departed are commemorated and remembered.
This celebration has its origins in pre-Hispanic times, when the indigenous people held a celebration to honor the memory of their deceased. Subsequently, the Catholic Church continued this tradition, seeking to remember the deceased loved ones.
Although each country has its own way of commemorating it, in Colombia, it is traditional to make visits to cemeteries and decorate the graves of deceased loved ones using flowers.
