Pope Francis ‘concerned’ after Nicaraguan bishop detained

Vatican City: Pope Francis said on Sunday he was "concerned" by rising tensions between the state and the Catholic church in Nicaragua, two days after bishop and regime critic Rolando Alvarez was detained.

Francis said he was following "closely with concern and sorrow" the situation in Nicaragua, amid a worsening standoff between the Church and a government accused of increasing authoritarianism.

"I would like to express my conviction and hope that through open and sincere dialogue, the basis for respectful and peaceful coexistence can still be found," the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said after the Angelus prayer.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been under increasing government pressure since opposition protests in 2018 were met with repression that resulted in hundreds of deaths. President Daniel Ortega maintains the protests were part of a Washington-backed opposition plot to unseat him, and accuses bishops of complicity.