A Nicaraguan lawyer and Catholic researcher urged the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to take aggressive action against the Nicaraguan government. Recommendations included imposing direct economic sanctions on Nicaragua and prosecuting President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo for crimes against humanity. The researcher documented 19,836 attacks against Nicaraguan priests, nuns, and laypeople perpetrated by the dictatorship since April 2018. Testimony highlighted severe religious freedom violations, including monitoring altar boys, harassing parents, and prohibiting the entry of Bibles into the country.
about 2 months ago
On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) held a hearing in Washington, D.C., following its 2025 Annual Report.1
Witnesses testified on religious freedom violations against Christians in countries including Nicaragua, China, Nigeria, Algeria, Vietnam, Egypt, Burma, Eritrea, and Pakistan.1
Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer and Catholic researcher, urged USCIRF to refocus on Nicaragua, stating "return your eyes to Nicaragua."1
She highlighted that "in Nicaragua, praying in public is considered a crime" and shared her study "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church."1
Molina documented 19,836 attacks on priests, nuns, and laypeople by the Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo regime since April 2018.1
Abuses include harassment of altar boys by police, threats to parents, prohibition of Bible imports, and control over Catholic images.1
The regime has exiled or expelled 304 priests and nuns, closed 13 universities and seminaries, leaving some dioceses with only 30-40% of priests.1
This limits pastoral work, confessions, and religious practices in rural areas, with priests fearing imprisonment or exile.1
Molina called for economic sanctions on Nicaragua's army, direct sanctions, and prosecuting Ortega, Murillo, and collaborators for crimes against humanity.1
She warned that without action, the regime's advances could reach the U.S.1
Grace Drexel testified about her father, Pastor Ezra Jin, imprisoned in China during a crackdown on Zion Church, the largest since the Cultural Revolution.1
She urged recognizing China's actions as a global threat to religious freedom.1
Commission Chair Vicky Hartzler emphasized U.S. leadership amid global Christian persecution, praising Nigeria's designation as a Country of Particular Concern.1
She advocated designating more countries and using U.S. influence.1
Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) affirmed the U.S. as a Christian nation with a duty to defend persecuted Christians.1
Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) highlighted China's prioritization of party loyalty over God and supported related legislation.1
Assess Catholic Church’s response to state‑perpetrated religious persecution
The Catholic Church has long responded to state-perpetrated religious persecution with a blend of unwavering fidelity to Christ, courageous perseverance, promotion of religious freedom as a fundamental human right, and calls for dialogue and reconciliation where possible, always prioritizing obedience to God over human authorities. Drawing from papal encyclicals, addresses, and teachings, the Church exhorts the persecuted to endure trials with hope, unites the global faithful in prayerful solidarity, distinguishes true persecution from just state actions, and advocates for the legal recognition of religious liberty rooted in human dignity. This response is not passive but active, fostering moral resilience while seeking peaceful resolutions.
At the heart of the Church's response is the call to prioritize divine law over unjust human mandates, echoing the Apostles' bold declaration. Pope Pius XII, addressing communist persecution in China, praised Catholics for rendering "respectful homage to your public authorities in the field of their competency" while firmly refusing to "stray from the precepts of the Catholic religion" or deny Christ, even facing "torture and prison." He further congratulated those "counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus," urging them to heed Christ's words: "do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul," promising divine acknowledgment before the Father for those who confess Him publicly. Similarly, in mission territories facing "difficulties and sometimes even by active persecution," Pope John XXIII implored perseverance, assuring that God sustains the afflicted with "heavenly favors" and that the whole Church shares in "communion of prayer and sorrow," confident in ultimate victory.
This stance of bold witness without compromise forms a cornerstone, as Pius XII reinforced in his encyclical against Chinese communism: Christians must "calmly and firmly repeat the words... 'We must obey God rather than men.'" Such teachings underscore that persecution tests but refines faith, transforming suffering into testimony.
Papal interventions often address concrete cases, blending condemnation of injustice with pastoral encouragement. In mid-20th-century China, Pius XII's letters to the Chinese people highlighted their dual loyalty—civic duties alongside unyielding faith—amid supranational Church principles that transcend state control.
In Nicaragua during the Sandinista era, Pope John Paul II repeatedly decried state actions like the expulsion of ten priests from Managua, calling it a "grave loss" for pastoral needs and expressing "vivid deploration" while urging Nicaraguan authorities to reverse this "openly harmful" decision. He invoked Mary's protection for a Church committed to "reject[ing] violence" and pursuing "dialogue and reconciliation." During ad limina visits and ambassadorial speeches, John Paul II emphasized the Church's non-partisan role, demanding freedom for evangelization, return of expelled priests, recovery of seized Church properties, and resumption of social works for the needy, all while invoking Dignitatis Humanae on the "irrenunciable right" to act freely for salvation.
Even as Nicaragua transitioned, he stressed the Church's service in education, aid, and moral formation to heal "wounds and antagonisms," countering a "moral crisis" fueled by "atheistic education" with Gospel values for a "fraternal and peaceful society." These responses model denunciation paired with hope for reconciliation, avoiding entanglement in politics while safeguarding spiritual liberty.
The Church's response evolved with deeper articulation of religious freedom, distinguishing persecution from legitimate state actions. Scholarly analysis of Benedict XVI's hermeneutic frames Vatican II's Dignitatis Humanae as a "reform" correcting prior state models, affirming freedom of conscience—not as state support for truth, but as the right to profess faith "without impediment by the state," as early martyrs sought. This abrogates outdated "rights of truth" claims, applying immutable principles to modern contexts where states must respect the "separation between the political and religious spheres."
Recent distinctions clarify: while just state prosecution of crimes (e.g., clergy abuse) differs from persecution "rooted in animosity toward the Church's faith," the latter demands vigilant response, as scandals can arm persecutors. Pope Leo XIV, addressing Aid to the Church in Need in 2025, reaffirmed this amid "rising hostility and violence against... Christians": religious freedom is "essential," rooted in the person "created in God’s image," enabling truth-seeking and witness. Denying it erodes societies, breeding "fear" and "violence." Echoing Vatican II and his predecessor, he stressed the Church's mission to "protect and promote" this right concretely, as Aid to the Church in Need does by aiding the suffering Body of Christ: “If one member suffers, all suffer together.”
Across eras, the Church fosters global solidarity—prayer, material aid, diplomatic appeals—while promoting dialogue. John Paul II urged Nicaraguans toward "security based on a correct juridical social and economic order," invoking Paul VI: peace is "built up day after day" in justice. Leo XIV's Jubilee-era address positions the Church as a family refusing to "abandon our persecuted brothers and sisters," laboring for their "God-given freedoms."
This response avoids coercion or revenge, embodying Christ's nonviolence, yet firmly resists assimilation, ensuring the Church's "supranationality" and transcendent mission prevail.
In summary, the Catholic Church confronts state-perpetrated religious persecution through doctrinal clarity on freedom, exemplary perseverance, targeted advocacy, and ecclesial communion, always anchoring in Christ's promise of victory for the faithful witness. This holistic approach not only sustains the persecuted but advances human dignity universally.