The crackdown of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua under the regime of “President” Daniel Ortega is continuing to intensify. Reuters reported today that “Nicaraguan police detained four more priests early on Saturday, bringing the total number to 12 over the past three days.”

Prior to the most recent arrests on Saturday, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported:

The persecution of the Catholic Church by the regime of Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, has intensified in recent months. The most emblematic case is that of Bishop Rolando Álvarez of the Diocese of Matagalpa, who was abducted and held under house arrest in August 2022 until in February of this year when he was finally sentenced to more than 26 years in prison, accused of being “a traitor to the homeland.”

Priests are even being arrested for the “crime” of praying for Bishop Alvarez in their Masses. A headline today in Aleteia noted: “Nicaragua: Praying for your (arrested) bishop is a crime; but that prayer is part of every Mass.”