Gunmen have kidnapped two Italian priests and a Canadian nun in northern Cameroon.
Witnesses say the armed men pulled up to home of the group overnight Friday, ransacked the place and abducted the three who were working as missionaries.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the kidnappings, which took place in a remote area.
The parish where the kidnap victims live is near the northeastern Nigeria region that serves as a base for Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group blamed for a string of violent attacks.
A Vatican spokesman said Saturday that Pope Francis was praying for the three and "expressed hope for a solution."
Kidnappings of Westerners have become common in the remote and sparsely populated region, where borders between countries are porous.