UPDATED: Catholic priests and nuns kidnapped in Haiti

Seven Catholic clergy, including two French citizens, were kidnapped Sunday in Haiti, said the spokesman of the Bishop’s Conference for the island nation, which has been rocked by unrest.

Five priests and two nuns were abducted in the morning in Croix-des-Bouquets, a commune northeast of the capital Port-au-Prince, while they were “on their way to the installation of a new parish priest.

The French foreign ministry on Monday said it was confirming that two French citizens had been kidnapped in Haiti.

The kidnappers had demanded a $1 million ransom for the group, which includes one French priest and one French nun, he added.

Haitian authorities suspect an armed gang called “400 Mawozo” — which is active in kidnappings — is behind the abduction, according to a police source.

Four of the priests are Haitian, and one of the two nuns.

Kidnappings for ransom have surged in recent months in Port-au-Prince and other provinces, reflecting the growing influence of armed gangs in the Caribbean nation.

Photo: A woman participates in a pilgrimage through the mountains of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. EPA-EFE/JEAN MARC HERVE ABELARD

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