The Holy See was "an accomplice of the Nazis" and the fascists in Spain and Italy in the last century, Ortega said according to media reports on Monday.
Nicaragua's president voiced his criticism of the Church at an online meeting of the heads of state of the "Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América" ("Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America"), abbreviated to "ALBA".
Ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean belong to this economic and political alliance, including Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Many of the member states are led by left-wing politicians.
The Vatican is a clear ally of the "empire", Ortega said, alluding to the USA. The church is used as an instrument in the political battles that US policy is waging with other states on the American continent.
The Nicaraguan president, who stands in the tradition of left-wing nationalist Sandinismo, sees the USA as a political opponent. The regime of the increasingly dictatorial Ortega has been suppressing the churches in Nicaragua for several years.
Since 2018, 245 clergy have been expelled from the country or have had to flee. One highlight of the conflict was the sentencing of Bishop Rolando Álvarez to 26 years in prison in 2023. He was deported to the Vatican in January 2024.
On Sunday, Pope Francis once again spoke out about the persecution of the Church in Nicaragua.
During the Angelus prayer in St Peter's Square, the head of the Church addressed the people of the Central American country: He spoke of a "time of trial" and asked for divine assistance and protection for the Church. "Remember that the Holy Spirit always guides history according to his higher plans," said Francis.