Nicaragua Bans Door-to-Door Evangelization

Nicaragua’s government has prohibited the Catholic dioceses of León and Chinandega from engaging in door-to-door evangelization, according to a report from la prensa released on Thursday.

This decision has drawn criticism from Marta Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer and activist noted for documenting instances of Christian persecution under the authoritarian leadership of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

Molina stated, “Dictators Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have banned pastoral missions in the Diocese of León, where the Year of the Church is to be celebrated in 2026. On January 24, missionaries were set to go door to door to spread the Gospel, but they were denied this permission,” as reported by la prensa.

She explained that some evangelists managed to visit local homes prior to the government’s order for clergy in the dioceses to limit their activities to indoors.

“The police have prohibited the preaching that was planned for next weekend, urging everyone to stay in the parish instead of going out to share the Word. This has disrupted our mission, which was intended to bring the Word of God from house to house,” Molina shared on social media.

Bishop Sacrates René Sandigo of León announced that 2026 would be recognized as the Year of the Church to mark the 500th anniversary of the diocese’s establishment. The planned events included pilgrimages, pastoral missions, and Eucharistic celebrations, along with door-to-door preaching of the Gospel.

“The aim is to reach people who might not attend church, by going door to door. But the repression is intensifying, especially against types of pastoral work like this,” Molina cautioned.

She added a somewhat ominous comment, noting, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Doña Rosario shows up soon.” She expressed concern over a growing climate of paranoia and suppression.

Molina also criticized Ortega’s administration for allowing activities that aren’t worship while simultaneously targeting clergy and believers. She remarked that church officials were instructed to open the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in León for non-religious gatherings.

“They acknowledge these events, yet they restrict the church from going out to preach,” she emphasized.

This ban represents a continuing pattern of religious oppression by the Ortega-Murillo government against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Over the years, the regime has launched a violent anti-Christian campaign, largely in response to the Church’s support during peaceful protests against their rule in 2018. According to the World Christianity Database, approximately 75.3 percent of Nicaraguans identify as Catholic.

Molina is leading an investigation titled “Nicaragua: The Persecuted Church,” aiming to document the persecution faced by the Catholic Church under Ortega’s rule. The results of the investigation were shared with Pope Leo XIV in October 2025.

During a recent conference, Molina, along with Muriel Saenz, raised awareness at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). They pointed out that since April 2018, nearly 19,836 incidents of religious persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua have been logged by the Ortega government. Reports indicate that over 300 priests have faced exile or expulsion in recent years, and they highlighted the ongoing harassment of Christians by state police and paramilitary groups.

“People in Nicaragua are living in fear due to the dictatorship’s brutality,” Molina noted, explaining that in many dioceses, only about 30% of priests remain following such crackdowns.

Furthermore, Molina and Saenz discussed restrictions set to take effect in December 2025, which would prevent travelers from bringing Bibles into the country.

The ACI Plensa Catholic News Agency also cited a report from Open Doors, which indicated that Christians in Nicaragua are facing increasing silence under the Ortega-Murillo regime. Nicaragua was ranked 32nd on a list of the most persecuted countries for Christians, a jump from 61st place in 2022, as the government escalates its actions against the Catholic Church.

Open Doors reported that followers who voice opposition to the government face various forms of intimidation, including surveillance and detention, while churches and faith-based organizations are seen as threats. This report highlighted that many Christians have had their properties confiscated, suffered operational restrictions, and faced destruction of their places of worship.