Colombian Senate passes law honoring the Church of the National Vow, symbol of the country’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and post-civil war reconciliation.
Newsroom (18/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a significant acknowledgment of Colombia’s religious and historical heritage, the Senate on December 15 approved Bill 131-2025, formally recognizing the historical, religious, and cultural value of the Church of the National Vow. The landmark legislation highlights the basilica as an enduring symbol of the nation’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and its role in fostering reconciliation following one of the country’s bloodiest conflicts.
The bill, introduced by Senator Mauricio Giraldo, passed through all four required debates and now awaits only the president’s signature to become law. In a statement following the vote, Giraldo described the measure as “an act of gratitude and spiritual remembrance.” He emphasized that “Colombia cannot renounce its roots or the symbols that have sustained the nation. Legislating also means caring for the soul of a country.”
In a video shared on social media, Giraldo further elaborated on the church’s profound significance. He portrayed the Church of the National Vow as “the national symbol of reconciliation” in the aftermath of the Thousand Days’ War, a devastating civil conflict that raged from 1899 to 1902 between liberal and conservative factions. The war, which claimed more than 100,000 lives and ended in victory for the conservatives, was fueled in part by deep divisions over the structure of the state: conservatives advocated for a unitary, centralized government, while liberals pushed for a federal system granting greater autonomy to regional governments. Although numerous factors contributed to the conflict, including the influential role of the Catholic Church, these ideological clashes formed a core dispute.
“This bill is a recognition of reconciliation, but above all, of Colombia’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Giraldo declared in the video. “We are happy; it has already been approved in its four debates, and now only [the president’s signature] is needed. It’s a done deal, we have a law, because we continue to protect the heart of Colombia.”
The newly approved law is expected to have practical implications beyond symbolic recognition. The Church of the National Vow, located in Bogotá, currently suffers from structural damage that has necessitated the installation of protective netting to safeguard visitors and the edifice itself. With the legislation in place, the state is anticipated to take responsibility for the basilica’s restoration, ensuring the preservation of this national treasure.
The origins of the Church of the National Vow trace back to the turbulent final days of the Thousand Days’ War. The basilica earned its name from a solemn promise made on behalf of the nation by Bernardo Herrera Restrepo, then-archbishop of Bogotá. In a bid to end the bloodshed, Herrera vowed to consecrate Colombia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to erect a church in its honor if peace were achieved.
Herrera appealed directly to President José Manuel Marroquín Ricaurte to support the construction of a temple dedicated to the Sacred Heart. This call was formalized in Decree 820 of May 18, 1902, which committed the state to assisting in the building effort and underscored the national duty to promote reconciliation among Colombians.
On June 11, 1902, the consecration ceremony took place, marking the laying of the church’s cornerstone. Remarkably, just five months later, the civil war concluded with peace treaties signed aboard the U.S. battleship Wisconsin and on the Neerlandia plantation. The United States had intervened in the negotiations, driven by its strategic interest in building a canal across Panama, which at the time remained part of Colombian territory.
Construction of the church spanned more than a decade, reaching completion in 1918. Its ecclesiastical status was elevated in 1964 when Pope Paul VI designated it a minor basilica. In 1975, it was officially declared a national monument, cementing its place in Colombia’s cultural patrimony.
The Senate’s approval of Bill 131-2025 represents a contemporary reaffirmation of these historical ties between faith, national identity, and healing. By enshrining the Church of the National Vow’s significance in law, lawmakers have signaled a commitment to preserving not only a physical structure but also the spiritual and reconciliatory ideals it embodies for future generations.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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