Vatican City (AFP) – Pope Leo XIV calls for the release of over 300 hostages taken from a Catholic school in Nigeria – one of the largest mass kidnappings the country has ever seen. Addressing those gathered in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, Leo says he “was deeply saddened” by the news, and makes “a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages.” According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), gunmen kidnapped 315 students and teachers, with separate raids on two schools taking place on Monday 17 November and Friday 21 November. On Sunday 23 November, after Pope Leo’s comments, CAN announced that 50 of the students had escaped and been “reunited with their parents.”
