UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is concerned about the continuing and intensifying violence in Nicaragua, his spokesman said Wednesday.

Guterres deplores the loss of life in the anti-government protests and the attack against Catholic Church mediators, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The secretary-general recognizes the important mediation role of the Catholic Church. He urged all parties to respect the role of the mediators, refrain from the use of violence, and fully commit to participating in the national dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis, said the statement.

Anti-government protests, originally triggered over the reform of the social security system in April, have kept on unabated and Sunday became the bloodiest day when some 38 people were reportedly killed.