NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      ROME (CWNews.com) - The archbishop of Freetown, Sierra Leone, and four missionaries have escaped their rebel captors on Friday, according to reports by the MISNA missionary news agency.

      "Monsignor Giorgio Biguzzi, bishop of Makani, has announced that Archbishop Joseph Ganda is with him in Freetown, in a safe zone," MISNA said in a statement that contradicted earlier comments by the rebels. He said four Xaverian Brothers priests who had been held with him also escaped. There was no word on six nuns of the Missionaries of Charity and another Xaverian brother who had also been held.

      Archbishop Ganda was kidnapped early last week, at about the same time as the four priests. The others were then captured by Revolution United Front (RUF) rebels later in the week. Freetown has been devastated by fighting since January 6 when RUF rebels invaded the city and engaged government forces as well as West African peacekeeping troops. The rebels have largely been driven from the city and aid groups have begun distributing food.