VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis called on Sunday for an end to the violence in Nicaragua, where at least six people have died in protests against unpopular changes in social security.
Speaking to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's Square (NYSE:SQ) for his Sunday address, Francis called for "an end to every form of violence and to avoid the useless shedding of blood."
Francis, the first Latin American pope in history, called for differences to be "resolved peacefully and with a sense of responsibility".
On Saturday, after four days of protests, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, facing the biggest crisis of his leadership, said he was ready to consider changing an unpopular social security overhaul.
The measures increase worker contributions and lower pensions.