Nicaragua’s Regime Prohibits 406 Catholic Processions
Nicaragua’s communist government has banned 406 Catholic Stations of the Cross processions during the initial week of Lent, as reported by *la prensa*. This period, which involves fasting and reflection, spans 40 days leading up to Holy Week and Easter. Lent 2026 kicked off on Ash Wednesday, February 18, and runs until Maundy Thursday, April 2. The Stations of the Cross is a public Catholic observance that pays tribute to Jesus Christ’s final moments before his resurrection.
Martha Patricia Molina, an activist and researcher, criticized the ruling that restricts these processions to indoor celebrations. She stated that regime officials mandated that “everything must go inside the temple.” Molina expressed in a Facebook post that “Jesus on the cross remains confined within the walls of each parish.” She suggested that the dictatorship fears that believers and religious symbols might take to the streets for prayer.
Molina has been investigating the ongoing persecution faced by Nicaraguan Catholics under the regime of Daniel Ortega and his spouse, Rosario Murillo. Her research culminates in an annual report titled “Nicaragua: The Persecuted Church,” the latest of which was presented to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in October 2025.
The researchers are urging the faithful to support their parish priests, document witnessed attacks, and remain cautious, especially if police in uniform or plainclothes are spotted at churches. Molina also accused the Nicaraguan police of threatening priests to divulge their Holy Week event schedules.
“Police will be stationed for the Lenten and Easter Triduum activities, but only within the church grounds. They will ensure that no one steps outside the parish boundaries,” she noted.
Since 2018, Ortega and Murillo have aggressively targeted Christians, ostensibly as retaliation for the Catholic Church’s backing of peaceful anti-communist protests. The recent report revealed that there have been 1,010 recorded acts of persecution against Christians in Nicaragua from April 2018 to July 2025.
These persecutions have included hostile rhetoric from Ortega and Murillo, as well as the arrest, torture, and expulsion of church members. Additionally, there have been forced seizures of church properties, assaults on places of worship, cancellations of church events, and systematic closures of Catholic universities and media outlets.
Recently, the Ortega government expelled Father Jose Concepción Reyes Mairena, marking the 309th forced expulsion of a member of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church. Mairena had been interrogated upon his return from Spain and was denied entry back into Nicaragua.
Moreover, Molina had previously indicated that the Ortega administration prohibited the dioceses of León and Chinandega from conducting door-to-door evangelism, which was planned for the 500th anniversary of the diocese.
In a troubling development, reports surfaced that the government has also banned travelers from bringing Bibles into the country, though local bus companies have confirmed this prohibition. Those traveling to Nicaragua are being advised against carrying Bibles to avoid potential confiscation.
