Colombia: guerillas force priests to leave rural areas
October 10, 2013
A Catholic bishop in Colombia has revealed that rebels have forced priests to leave rural areas of his diocese, the Fides news service reports.
Bishop Luis Alberto Parra Mora of Mocoa-Sibundoy told a local radio station that guerillas have allowed priests only in urban areas; only the guerillas themselves are free to move around the countryside. The bishop urged government officials to ensure that priests are able to minister to rural communities.
Tensions have risen in Colombia as peace talks between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) continue in Cuba, aimed to end years of fighting.
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