Pope Leo XIV. Photo: Collected

VATICAN CITY, Nov 23, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Pope Leo XIV called Sunday for the release of over 300 hostages taken from a Catholic school in one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria.

"I learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students," he said, making "a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages".