Mexico City , Mexico ( CNN ) -- As one of the highest officials in the Mexican Catholic Church , Monsignor Victor Rene Rodriguez has been receiving the alarming reports from all over the nation . His priests are telling him they are being constantly threatened , extorted and abused by drug traffickers . `` Sometimes threats do n't materialize , '' Rodriguez said . `` But in cases where priests have n't obeyed the drug traffickers ' demands , churches have been damaged , priests attacked , and , in a few cases , even killed . '' Monsignor Rodriguez is the secretary general of the Mexican Conference of Bishops and the Bishop of Texcoco . He says some fellow bishops have opted for canceling early evening masses to protect parishioners from the drug violence . Rodriguez points to states like Chihuahua , the most violent in Mexico . Of the 28,000 drug-related deaths in the last four years , 40 percent have happened in this border state . In Ciudad Juarez , across the border from El Paso , Texas , more than 100 pastors have reported threats , and extortion has become all too common . About 90 percent of Mexico 's total population of 110 million people describe themselves as Catholic . In fact , Mexico has the second largest population of Catholics in the world . But the threats are affecting evangelical churches as well . The Rev . Jose Raul Murillo , head pastor at the Faith in Jesus Christ Apostolic Church in Juarez , says pastors are falsely accused of siding with certain gangs . `` They threaten us , '' he said . `` They accuse us of siding with La Linea [ drug gang ] or La Familia [ rival gang ] . They also tell us , 'You have to cooperate with us or we will kill you . ' `` Monsignor Rodriguez also says priests are forced to minister to drug traffickers . `` They give the orders , '' he said . `` They say , 'We will pick you up . We need you to minister . ' And there have been cases where a priest has been unable to go to perform a baptism ritual or a first communion and his church has suffered the consequences . '' The families of priests are being threatened as well , Rodriguez said . The Mexican Catholic Church has adopted several measures to minimize the risks to priests caused by drug violence . For example , priests are being asked to always wear clothing that identifies them as religious people and to restrict trips to remote areas .
Priests are being threatened , extorted and abused by drug traffickers , monsignor says . Score: 6 In Ciudad Juarez , more than 100 priests have reported threats and extortion . Evangelical churches also are being targeted .