SW News: The oppressive regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo in Nicaragua continues to intensify its assault on the Catholic Church with the recent arrest of yet another religious figure. The Catholic priest Fernando Zamora Silva was illegally detained this Sunday, July 9, in the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.

According to the Church sources, he was arrested after participating in a Holy Mass in the San Luis Gonzaga parish in the capital presided over by Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes. The detained priest was one of the guests at the Eucharistic celebration. However, the National Police have neither confirmed nor denied the alleged arrest of the priest.

Father Silva is the chancellor of the Diocese of Siuna and a judge of Nicaragua's ecclesiastical court, according to sources from the Catholic Church. Félix Maradiaga, president of the Foundation for the Freedom of Nicaragua and former presidential candidate, denounced the detention of the priest, saying that he was arbitrarily arrested. He also decried the illegal detention of four other priests, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa. The human rights activist demanded the release of the priest.

"From the Foundation for the Freedom of Nicaragua, we call on the international community to address this serious situation of persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and request international attention," said the organization.

Meanwhile, the Pontifical Charity Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) calls for the faithful to participate in a special prayer for peace in Nicaragua, where the Catholic Church is persecuted by Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo's dictatorship. On its website, ACN published the prayer for the Catholic faithful to invoke the Virgin of Concepción's special protection over Nicaragua assuring that the prayers have infinite value. Additionally, anyone can symbolically light a candle and donate to the pontifical foundation, which lends a helping hand to Catholics in need worldwide.

More than 190 attacks and desecrations against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua have occurred in less than four years, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral and persecution of the clergy under the Daniel Ortega government. The government has shut down church-affiliated media outlets and schools and expelled the Missionaries of Charity nuns who worked to help the most vulnerable people and are accusing bishops and priests of committing hate crimes against the government.