Butembo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jul 18, 2017 / 23:01 pm
Gunmen have abducted two Catholic priests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting the country's bishops to plead that the captives not be harmed.
"Priests are men of God who devote their lives to the good of the population without a political agenda. To hurt them is to harm the community they serve," said the National Episcopal Conference of Congo.
The bishops called on security forces to do everything they could to free the two priests.
Fathers Charles Kipasa and Jean-Pierre Akilimali were abducted at Our Lady of the Angels parish in Bunyuka just before 10 p.m. Sunday, Reuters reports. About 10 assailants were involved in their abduction.