A bishop has said "things are getting worse and worse" in east Mexico after one of his parishioners was kidnapped during Mass.
The man was taken while celebrating the Eucharist in the church of Saint Rita of Cascia in the port of Veracruz over the weekend.
Veracruz is a ethnically diverse part of the country home to many indigenous populations.
Bishop Eduardo Patino Leal of Cordoba said the culture of violence in the country is not improving.
He asked if "churches are no longer places of peace and communion?" according to Agenzia Fides.
Reports suggest the abduction is for ransom.
The bishop went on to say: "These things are not possible. Churches, therefore, are no longer places of peace and communion? Things get worse. The facts speak for themselves. No one can deny it".
He told reporters that this was an attack on the whole community and that region wanted peace and security and those are essential ingredients for schools and businesses in the area.
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Article by Hannah Tooley
Hannah Tooley is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
