Pope Francis has been to a former war zone during his visit to Sri Lanka, denouncing what he called the “evil” conflict that “tore open” the country’s heart.

It was the first visit by a pope to the mainly Hindu region that has a large Catholic minority.

He travelled to a Catholic shrine that was shelled in 1999, killing dozens of people who had sought refuge – and called on all people in the area to work together to heal the wounds of war.

In a prayer at the church of Our Lady of Madhu, the pope, addressing tens of thousands of followers who had gathered at the site, said:
“May all people here find inspiration and strength to build a future of reconciliation, justice and peace for all the children of this beloved land.”

The shrine is revered by both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics.

“There are certain people who like being with the crowd. There are certain officials who don’t like to be with the crowd. You see, there are people who are very humble, they do not take caste or cre