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Ingrid Betancourt at Castel Gandolfo

Ingrid Betancourt was welcomed by Pope Benedict XVI at the papal retreat of Castel Gandolfo this week. The Franco-Colombian politician was freed from the communist FARC guerrillas in July by a stealth operation of the Colombian Army in which not a single shot was fired. Betancourt had been held hostage for over six years in the South American jungle. After being reunited with her family, she made a pilgrimage to Lourdes to give thanks for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin in sustaining her during her capitivity.

“The audience with the pope was a dream for me, to meet a being of light, of humanity or a very high level of human understanding,” Betancourt told the press. “I didn’t follow protocol because as soon as I walked in I embraced the pope, and maybe you are not supposed to embrace the pope!” She told the Holy Father how overcome with emotion she was when she heard the Pope’s appeal for her release over the radio during her captivity. “As soon as I switched the radio on, I heard the voice of the pope who was saying my name. You cannot imagine what this can mean to a person in my situation, a prisoner, to understand you have not been forgotten.”

Reuters reports that Betancourt told the Pope how she had prayed for a miracle, asking God not to free her but to send her a sign of when she would be freed, something she felt was essential to save her from despair.

Soon after that, one of her captors told her some hostages may be released to a visiting group from an “international commission”. Betancourt was among the hostages freed in an operation which was, in reality, conducted by the Colombian security forces.

“When I told the Pope this, he replied: ‘He heard you because you knew how to ask. You didn’t ask for a miracle to be freed yourself, instead you asked to understand what was His will.'”

Prayers and other efforts continue seeking the release of the remaining hostages held by the FARC.

Published at 7:57 pm on Monday 8 September 2008. Categories: Benedict XVI Church People Tags: , , , .
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