Pope denounces continuing crackdown on Church in Nicaragua

Pope Francis on Monday denounced a growing crackdown on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua by the government of President Daniel Ortega. Twelve priests and a bishop have been detained in recent days in the Central American country, where Ortega began repressing the Church after national demonstrations in 2018. "I am following with concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom," Francis said in his weekly Sunday message and blessing in St. Peter's Square.