AMERICA/COLOMBIA - The Church rejoices upon the release of 15 people, including Ingrid Betancourt, calling for the release of remaining hostages

Thursday, 3 July 2008

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Bogota (Agenzia Fides) – The Colombian Bishops’ Conference, which is currently holding its Plenary Assembly in celebration of its Centennial Anniversary of foundation (see Fides 1/7/2008), received with great joy the news of the release of 15 people who were being held hostage by the FARC (“Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) and asked that the guerilla group free all remaining captives.
The former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a world figure in the plight of kidnapping, was rescued by the Colombian Army yesterday, July 2. Along with 46 year-old Betancourt, were released three Americans and 11 members of the Army and Police Force who had been captured by the FARC. Betancourt has been a hostage of the FARC for six years and a video released several months ago showed that she was alive, however suffering from severe health problems.
The President of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga affirmed that his message for the leaders of FARC is that they “release the remaining hostages as soon as possible and that they realize that this will be the best option for them.” For Bishop Castro Quiroga, the release of the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, the three Americans, and the 11 members of the Colombian Armed Forces, is news that “fills me with profound joy” and gratitude at the fact that there has been an end to their families’ suffering. “May this rescue effort be a step in the FARC’s serious consideration of dialogue with the Government,” the President of the Bishops’ Conference added.
Cardinal Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, Archbishop of Bogota, also assured that this is “great news” and expressed his hope that the FARC “realize that they still have a chance of integrating themselves into the country and freeing all the hostages.”
The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, communicated the joy of the Holy See and the Pope for the successful military operation that freed the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and the 14 other hostages. Father Lombardi mentioned that the Pontiff “rejoices at this wonderful news that is a cause for joy and a reason for hope” and that he considered it “a hopeful sign for so many other people, in the sense of a pacification of a country that has suffered so much violence.”
Father Lombardi also mentioned that the Pope had made numerous appeals for the release of the hostages, and Betancourt specifically. The most recent of these had taken place the day before, in a video-message that he sent to the Bishops gathered in their Plenary Assembly, celebrating their first centennial anniversary, during which they addressed such issues as the end of violence, kidnapping, and extortion. Benedict XVI concluded his message ardently praying to God that a lasting and just peace may reign in Colombia in an atmosphere of hope and wellbeing (see Fides 2/7/2008). Several months ago, Benedict XVI received the mother of Ingrid Betancourt in the Vatican. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 3/7/2008)