Protestant Pastor DETAINED 5 Days, Tied With Rope and BANISHED for Refusing to Kneel to Catholic Saint
Mexican Village Officials Force Pastor, Wife and Baby Out After Refusing St. James Image Worship
Officials in Santiago Malacatepec, Mexico detained Protestant Pastor Mariano Velásquez Martínez for five days, then expelled him and his family for refusing to participate in Catholic church rituals.
On January 15, local Catholics ordered Pastor Velásquez Martínez to light candles, kneel and pray to an image of St. James as part of the village's Roman Catholic festival, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported.
The pastor had accepted a leadership position understanding he would only provide candles and flowers. When he refused to kneel and pray to the image, officials detained him for five days.
"He was then bound with a rope and taken before an assembly of about 180 men, where an announcement was made that he was to be expelled," CSW stated.
Officials forced him to sign a displacement document without providing a copy. The pastor, his wife and 3 month old baby now reside temporarily with relatives in Oaxaca City. He has led the 25 member Iglesia Camino Nuevo y Vivo since 2023.
The case follows passage of legislation in September against forced displacement calling for 10 to 18 year prison sentences.
Local officials estimate half of displacement cases in Oaxaca link to religious intolerance. Attorney Porfirio Flores Zúñiga filed criminal complaints against officials Melquiades Castro and Andrés Retes. Authorities took no action as of January 19.
Mexico ranked No. 30 on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Oaxaca has highest religious persecution in Mexico.
This pastor is the second expelled from this church since 2023.
TAKE ACTION
Report Religious Persecution:
- Christian Solidarity Worldwide: https://www.csw.org.uk
- Email: advocacy@csw.org.uk
Pressure Mexican Government:
- Contact Mexican Embassy demanding enforcement of displacement law
- Attorney General of Oaxaca: fiscalia.oaxaca.gob.mx
Support Persecuted Mexican Christians:
- Open Doors Mexico: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/countries/mexico
- Email: contactus@opendoorsusa.org
Raise Awareness:
- Share story on social media with #ReligiousFreedomMexico
- Contact your representatives about Mexico persecution
Demand Mexico enforce its own displacement laws. Support organizations fighting for religious freedom in indigenous regions. Pray for Pastor Velásquez Martínez and his family.
