Pope Benedict XVI urged Colombia’s Catholic Church to help the country’s criminals, its poor, displaced and kidnapped.
He also called for special help to assist victims of the Andean nation’s recent natural disasters.
Pope Benedict spoke to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia in Vatican City.
“Colombia is not immune to the consequences of ignoring God,” he said.
He also warned his audience about the growing religious pluralism of Latin America, “a factor that requires serious consideration,” he said. “The increasingly active presence of Pentecostal and Evangelical communities, not only in Colombia but also in many parts of Latin America, cannot be underestimated or ignored.”
Eight Colombian police and military members who were kidnapped by the FARC attended Pope Benedict XVI’s general audience June 6 in Rome.