Pope prays for Libya, Italian and Tunisian fishermen

Pope Francis prayed on Sunday that international talks to stop the hostilities in Libya would bring peace and stability to the country.

"The time has come to stop every form of hostility, promoting the dialogue that leads to peace, to stability and to the unity of the country"  Francis said speaking after the Angelus prayer.

Francis then prayed for a group of Italian and Tunisian fishermen held in Libya after they were detained while fishing in the southern Mediterranean.

The fishing boat on which they were on board was seized by Libyan patrol boats on 1 September, accused of operating in Libya's territorial waters.

Pope Francis also addressed the recent liberation of Father Pier Luigi Maccalli a Roman Catholic missionary priest from the African Missionary Society (SMA) who was kidnapped from Niger in 2018.

"We continue to pray for the missionaries and catechists and also for those who are persecuted or kidnapped in various parts of the world." the pontiff added.