Pope speaks to hostage nuncio

THE papal nuncio to Colombia, who is being held hostage in the Dominican embassy by a group of left-wing guerrillas, has received a personal letter from Pope John Paul congratulating him on his example of "strength, calm and prudence."
Archbishop Angelo Acerbi has been a captive for seven weeks after the guerrillas stormed the embassy during a diplomatic reception. The Pope's letter, which was delivered just before Easter, urged the nuncio to have "courage" in his present "dramatic situation".
Pictures taken by a professional photographer who is also being held in the embassy show Archbishop Acerbi mopping the floor as part of the chores assigned to all the hostages.
The pictures were sold to a magazine and a news agency. Subsequently the photographer and a journalist were offered their freedom but declined.
Over Easter the Archbishop celebrated Mass for the other 19 hostages remaining in the embassy. The national radio broadcast two sermons condemnin who attacked the occupation country: one was by Archbishop Alfonso Lopez Trujillo of Medelling who attacked the occupation of the embassy as a violation of international law and pleaded with the guerrillas to release all the hostages.
During Holy Week the same guerrilla group, called M19, staged two more raids, one on the Bogota church of San Francisco and another.on a local cemetery to honour one of their members killed during the embassy takeover on February 27. The guerillas have demanded freedom for more than 300 prisoners being tried in military courts on charges of subversion as well as a substantial ransom and free conduct out of the country. The government has refused to release any of the prisoners. offering them only speedierstrials.