Pope Leo XIV expressed sadness over the kidnappings of priests, students, and faithful in Nigeria and Cameroon. The Pope appealed for the immediate release of the hostages and urged authorities to take action. The Pope mentioned the kidnapping of 315 students and teachers in Nigeria and six priests in Cameroon. Pope Leo invited everyone to pray for the safety of churches and schools.
23 days ago
Pope Leo XIV expressed profound sorrow during the Angelus prayer on November 23, 2025, in St. Peter's Square, following Mass on the Solemnity of Christ the King.1 2 3
He specifically appealed for the immediate release of over 300 kidnapped Catholic school students and teachers in Nigeria, as well as clerics held in Cameroon, urging authorities to act swiftly.1 2 3
The Pope emphasized his pain for the young victims and their families, calling on the faithful to pray that schools and churches remain safe havens.1 2 3
On Friday, November 21, 2025, gunmen abducted students and staff from St. Mary's School, a Catholic boarding school in Niger State's Papiri community.1 3
Initial reports estimated 25 to 100 victims, but verification confirmed around 315 individuals, including over 300 students aged 12-18 and about a dozen teachers.2 3
Some 88 students attempted to flee but were seized; this incident followed a similar abduction of 25 students in neighboring Kebbi State.1
The kidnappers are believed to be Islamist militants targeting educational institutions.1
In Ndop, within the Archdiocese of Bamenda, separatist Ambazonian fighters kidnapped a parish priest and his assistant on November 15, 2025.1 2 3
Four additional priests and one layperson were later seized while pleading for their release; five have been freed, but Father John Berinyuy Tatah remains captive for ransom.1
The Archdiocese refuses to pay ransom and plans to close schools and churches by November 26 if unresolved, with a potential march by clergy and faithful on November 28.1
Separately, a Baptist pastor was abducted in nearby Jakiri municipality.2 3
Pope Leo XIV's plea highlights ongoing violence against religious and educational sites in West Africa, amid separatist conflicts in Cameroon's English-speaking regions.1 2
The Archbishop of Bamenda criticized military exploitation and urged ethical conduct to protect civilians.1
In addition to the appeal, the Pope greeted Ukrainian faithful and announced his first apostolic journey to Türkiye and Lebanon, alongside a new letter on Christian unity.2
How does Catholic teaching guide responses to modern hostage crises?
Catholic teaching provides a robust moral framework for responding to modern hostage crises, which often involve terrorism, violence, and profound threats to human life. Rooted in the Gospel's emphasis on the sacredness of every person, the Church unequivocally condemns hostage-taking as a grave moral evil that assaults human dignity. Responses must prioritize the protection of innocent lives, pursue non-violent solutions through dialogue and justice, and, as a last resort, permit proportionate defensive force while addressing underlying injustices like poverty and oppression. This guidance draws from core principles of Catholic social doctrine, including the dignity of the human person, solidarity, and the common good, urging believers and societies to foster fraternity amid conflict.
Hostage crises represent a direct violation of fundamental human rights, subjecting victims to terror and coercion that undermine their God-given dignity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly states that "kidnapping and hostage taking bring on a reign of terror; by means of threats they subject their victims to intolerable pressures. They are morally wrong." This condemnation aligns with the Church's broader rejection of terrorism, which "threatens, wounds, and kills indiscriminately" and is "gravely against justice and charity." Such acts are not merely criminal but intrinsically evil, as they treat persons as objects to be manipulated, contradicting the Christian belief that every human is created in God's image.
In the context of modern crises—such as those involving ideological extremism or political manipulation—the Church traces these evils to deviations from authentic religious teachings and systemic failures. Pope Francis, in Fratelli Tutti, explains that terrorism arises from "an accumulation of incorrect interpretations of religious texts and to policies linked to hunger, poverty, injustice, oppression and pride," rather than true faith. He calls for unequivocal rejection of violence that instrumentalizes religion, emphasizing that "religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood." This teaching compels Catholics to denounce hostage-taking in all its forms, viewing it as a "manifestation of inhuman ferocity" that sows hatred and death.
At the heart of Catholic guidance is the imperative to safeguard the vulnerable, including hostages, who embody the "least among us" in Scripture. The Church's social doctrine stresses a duty to protect civil populations from the effects of violence, recognizing that international humanitarian law must prioritize human dignity over military or political demands. This extends to refugees and those displaced by conflict, whom the Church supports through pastoral care, material aid, and advocacy for their rights. In hostage situations, this means immediate efforts to secure the release of captives without compromising their safety, treating them as brothers and sisters in the human family.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reinforces this in Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, calling for opposition to "attacks against noncombatants" and the protection of life through effective, non-violent means wherever possible. Nations and individuals are urged to combat evil and terror "without resorting to armed conflicts except as a last resort after all peaceful means have failed." Pope John Paul II echoed this by highlighting solidarity's role in building a "civilization of love," where the Church stands with victims of violence, affirming that "as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me" (Mt 25:40). In practice, this guidance inspires organizations like Catholic Relief Services to provide humanitarian support, ensuring that responses to crises prioritize the dignity of all involved, including perpetrators who may be redeemable through justice and mercy.
Catholic teaching firmly establishes non-violence as the preferred path, viewing violence as "never a proper response" that destroys the very dignity it claims to defend. The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church proclaims that "violence is evil, that violence is unacceptable as a solution to problems, that violence is unworthy of man." Those who renounce bloodshed and use "means of defence available to the weakest" bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they respect others' rights. This principle applies directly to hostage negotiations, where dialogue, mediation, and arbitration should be exhausted before any escalation.
Pope Francis builds on this in Fratelli Tutti, advocating a "culture of dialogue" as the path to peace, with "mutual cooperation as the code of conduct" and "reciprocal understanding as the method." He invokes the names of the oppressed—including "prisoners of war and those tortured"—to call for global fraternity that rejects extremism and division. In addressing modern crises, the Church promotes addressing root causes like injustice, urging political and economic initiatives to resolve conflicts through reason and love rather than force. For instance, violent demonstrations or retaliatory actions are discouraged, as they often mask partisan interests and hinder true solutions. Instead, catechesis and preaching must emphasize the "fraternal dimension of spirituality" and the "inalienable dignity of each person," fostering encounters that heal divisions.
While non-violence is ideal, Catholic doctrine acknowledges the right and duty to defend human life and the common good against aggression, including in hostage scenarios involving terrorism. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship states that nations have an "obligation to defend human life... against terrorism, aggression, and similar threats," but this demands "effective responses to terror, moral assessment of and restraint in the means used, respect for ethical limits on the use of force." Force must be proportionate, discriminate between combatants and civilians, and focus on roots of terror, avoiding indiscriminate or preventive actions.
Pope John Paul II clarified that responses to terrorism require "respect for moral and legal limits in the choice of ends and means," including precise identification of the guilty, while emphasizing forgiveness as a pillar of peace. Military intervention, if necessary, cannot be "the blind application of violence" but must integrate education, economic aid, and social assistance to eradicate hatred's sources. The Church honors conscientious objection to unjust wars or procedures, underscoring that even defensive force must align with Gospel values. In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis warns that war—and by extension, escalatory responses—negates all rights and assaults the environment, calling for adherence to international law like the UN Charter to prevent uncontrollable harm.
Ultimately, Catholic teaching guides responses beyond immediate rescue to long-term transformation, rooted in solidarity and the preferential option for the poor. As one human family, we are called to eradicate racism, poverty, and disease that fuel conflicts, welcoming strangers and promoting peace as peacemakers. The Church's commitment to the vulnerable—unborn, elderly, immigrants, and victims of oppression—tests society's moral fabric. Pope Benedict XVI taught that love for the needy is essential to the Church's mission, paralleling sacraments and Gospel preaching.
In hostage crises, this means reallocating resources from violence to reconstruction, reconciliation, and humanitarian aid, as seen in calls for a "responsible transition" in conflict zones. Libertatis Conscientia links love of neighbor to justice, rejecting violence as a path to liberation and urging commitment to human dignity. By fostering a global culture of solidarity, Catholics can prevent crises, offering hope through faith-inspired actions that build unity.
In summary, Catholic teaching on modern hostage crises condemns the act as a profound evil, mandates protection of the innocent through non-violent means, permits restrained defense only as necessary, and insists on justice to uproot causes of violence. This approach not only saves lives but advances the Kingdom of God, where fraternity triumphs over fear.