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Three Catholics, who were kidnapped in Haiti last week have been released. Seven Catholics are still being held for ransom, including two French citizens and the family members of a Haitian priest. The group of Catholics was abducted on April 11, while they traveled to attend the installation of a parish priest. A local gang has reportedly claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. The gang is demanding a $1M ransom.
The pope has promised his prayers for the thousands of people displaced by ongoing volcanic eruptions in the southern Caribbean. A volcanic eruption on the island of Saint Vincent has displaced close to 20,000 people. The main island, and the nearby Grenadines islands, have limited access to clean water. The United Nations has launched a $29.2M funding appeal to address the humanitarian consequences of the natural disaster. The volcano had been dormant since 1979. It has erupted several times since April 9, destroying homes and crops and covering entire villages with ash.
Pope Francis celebrated today’s feast of his namesake, Saint George, with six hundred of Rome’s poor and needy. The pope’s baptismal name is Jorge, the Spanish version of George. Saint George’s feast day is a holiday in the Vatican. Pope Francis spent the day greeting the poor and needy in the Paul the Sixth Audience Hall, as they waited to receive the second dose of the coronavirus vaccination.