Pope Francis confessed, yesterday, to be relieved with the release of five hostages from the Institute of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Haiti and called for “a peaceful transition” to restore order in that country, reports the Efe agency.
Francis’ words of relief were delivered after the Angelus prayer, made from the window of the Apostolic Palace, in the Vatican City, Rome, in a message in which the head of the Catholic Church also urged the faithful to pray for the “populations martyred by war ”, as in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, South Sudan and Syria, which he asked not to forget.
“Dear brothers and sisters, I learned with relief that a teacher and four religious from the Institute of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, kidnapped on February 23, have been released in Haiti”, announced the pontiff, quoted by that Spanish news agency.
Francis called for the release “as soon as possible of the other two religious and all those who remain kidnapped” in Haiti, a “country affected by so much violence”, calling on all Haitian political and social actors to “abandon all interests themselves and strive in a spirit of solidarity in the search for the common good”.
The Pope also asked that a “peaceful transition” be supported so that Haiti, “with the help of the international community, is provided with solid institutions capable of restoring order and tranquility to its citizens”.
On March 10, the Institute of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart announced the release of five hostages, including four of the seven members of the Jean XXIII School community, held captive since February 23.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been plunged for weeks into a wave of violence caused by armed gangs that control a large part of the country, which led Prime Minister Ariel Henry to announce that he will resign as soon as a coalition is formed. transition council to name his successor and pave the way for presidential elections.
Kidnappings have become a daily occurrence in Haiti and armed gangs, who dominate 80% of the capital, use them to finance themselves through ransoms.