Report: Pope Pledged to Help Kidnapped Priest

The Kens
March 17, 2013

http://www.kens5.com/news/world/198631701.html

BERLIN (AP) — A German newspaper says it has discovered a decades-old letter in which the future Pope Francis pledged to fight for the release of a fellow priest who had been kidnapped by the Argentine junta that was in power from 1976-1983.

Weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung says Jorge Mario Bergoglio wrote to the family of Rev. Francisco Jalics in 1976 to tell them about his attempts to secure the priest's release despite differences the two men had.

The paper's report Sunday cites the pope saying in his letter he would "do everything" to free Jalics.

Jalics, who survived the kidnapping, issued a statement Friday saying he and Francis had reconciled their differences years ago.