Nicaraguan police are now requiring priests to present themselves weekly at police stations for questioning and to submit their weekly homilies and list of activities for review in case they contain anti-Government content, according to a new report.

The crackdown follows a February statement by the far-left, anti-clerical Nicaraguan government which raised the prospect that the Daniel Ortega-headed regime could stop recognising new episcopal appointments made by the Vatican.

Some priests have said they are assigned a permanent surveillance official and are warned that they cannot leave their community without authorisation.

In the interrogation, these priests are reportedly forced to present copies of their homilies to the police to verify they do not contain any messages critical of the regime.