VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II "vehemently" called Wednesday for the freedom of a top Roman Catholic bishop abducted in Colombia and condemned all violence and human rights violations in the country.
It was the second appeal in as many days by the pope over the abduction of Bishop Jorge Enrique Jimenez, president of the Latin American Episcopal Conference, who was seized Monday with another prelate as they headed to a religious ceremony.
The Colombian army has blamed the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, for the kidnapping. The FARC, which is fighting the government and an outlawed paramilitary group in Colombia's 38-year civil war, has not commented.
The pope spoke in Spanish about the abduction and the "sad news" that continued to arrive from Colombia during his weekly general audience.
"This fact, which adds to the climate of human rights persecutions and ails both the Church and the civil population, leads me to express once more my rebuke of any violence and damage to human dignity, which can never be a path of peace," the pope said.
"While I vehemently ask for the freedom of all abductees, and that these priests return to exercise their service to the people of God, I raise my prayers so that God grants much-desired peace to Colombia."
Jimenez is president of the organization of Roman Catholic bishops that determines church policy in the region and has a mandate covering the 22 nations of Latin America, home to nearly half the world's Catholics.
The abduction took place in an area where the leftist FARC guerrillas are active.
The group is holding dozens of politicians, police and soldiers in hopes of exchanging them for jailed rebels.