Kidnapped Bishop Released

28 July 2004

^{Bishop Misael Vacca}

For years, Christians in Colombia have caught in the midst of the ongoing dispute between Marxist guerillas and the government of Colombia. Christian leaders have been frequently targeted by rebels. On July 25, Roman Catholic Bishop Misael Vacca was kidnapped by guerillas from the National Liberation Army (ELN). The rebels told other priests that Vacca would be used to deliver a message and then released.

The Vatican and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe both appealed for his safety and release. Two days later, Vacca was released unharmed near the town of Morcote where he had been taken hostage.

According to the Colombian Bishop's Conference, fifty Catholic bishops, priests and missionaries have been killed and another 25 have been kidnapped since 1984. Dozens of Protestant pastors and missionaries have also been abducted and killed.

Praise God for the safe release of Bishop Vacca. Pray that the violence in Colombia will cease and that Christians will not continue to be used as pawns in this ongoing battle.

Read more about the courage and faith of Christians in Colombia in the August edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter. Click here to subscribe today. You can also view at PersecutionTV a recent video taken by a VOM team of a church that was bombed by FARC guerillas in the northeastern state of Arauca, where at least nine other churches have been closed.

For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Colombia, click here.

Colombia

Country Information
Population
49,336,454 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Mestizo and white (87.6), Afro-Colombian (6.8), Amerindian (4.3), unspecified )1.4)

Religion (%)
Christianity (92.3), other (1), unspecified (6.7)

Leader
President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego (2022)

Government type
Presidential republic

Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for Colombia
Please uphold all those in Colombia who’ve been victimized through acts of violence, asking the Lord to meet their needs, heal them of their brokenness, and bring about renewed hope and restoration. Also intercede for their persecutors so that they, too, will witness the love of Christ and experience His forgiveness and salvation.