POPE Francis sided with a group of Peruvian villagers on Saturday who have complained that companies linked to a powerful South American cult have tried to evict them from their land using lawsuits and obscure land titling schemes.

The Pope sent a recorded message of support to members of the  Saint John the Baptist of Catacaos farmers community in northern Peru, who have been fending off lawsuits from companies associated with the Sodalitium of Christian Life since 2014.

“I know what happened to you,” the Pope said in Spanish. “Defend your land and don’t let them steal it.”