Pope appeals for Korean hostages in Afghanistan

Pope appeals for Korean hostages in Afghanistan

Castel Gandolfo, Aug. 1, 2007 (CWNews.com) - During his Sunday Angelus audience on July 29, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) issued a plea for the release of 22 Korean hostages being held in Afghanistan. The Pope also deplored the increasingly frequent occurrence of kidnapping by rebels and militia groups.

"There is a growing practice among armed groups to use innocent people to achieve their own particular ends," Pope Benedict observed. "This is a serious violation of human dignity that contrasts with all elemental norms of civility and legality and represents a grave offence to divine law."

The Holy Father called upon the kidnappers to "desist from the evil they do and to release their victims unharmed."

The Korean hostages were abducted in Afghanistan on July 19.