Pope Francis on Monday expressed his concern over the detention of at least 13 clergymen and two seminarians since December 20 in Nicaragua, where Daniel Ortega’s government maintains strong tensions with the Catholic Church.
“I continue to follow what is happening in Nicaragua with deep concern, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom,” the Argentine Jesuit declared after the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
“I express to them, to their families and to the entire Church in the country my closeness in prayer,” the 87-year-old pontiff said.
“I also invite all of you here present and the entire People of God to insistently pray, while I hope that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome difficulties. Let us pray today for Nicaragua,” he continued.
At least 13 priests have been arrested in Nicaragua since December 20, including a bishop, according to religious figures, human rights activists, opponents and national media outlets in exile.
The relationship between the Church and the government deteriorated during the 2018 protests, after Ortega accused religious leaders of supporting opponents in what he considered an attempted coup. The protests left more than 300 dead, according to UN data.
An investigation by lawyer Martha Molina, an expert on Nicaraguan church issues exiled in the United States, maintains that since 2018 there were 740 attacks against the Church and that 176 priests and nuns were expelled, banished or prohibited from entering the country.
