A Mexican priest missing since early Januaary has been found dead, the Catholic Church has revealed.

Fears had been raised for the safety of Father Joaquin Hernandez Sifuentes, who ministered in the state of Coahuila, which is plagued by drug cartel violence.

A statement from the state's Saltillo diocese said it had been informed his body had been discovered. It released no other information, said Fox News.

The statement said: "Father Joaquin was someone who looked for perfection in everything he did; the desire to always innovate in his work, has been reflected in love by the faithful, including during the past 10 days."

Hernandez was due to go on holiday on January 3 but is thought to have been abducted. A friend went to his house at the church and found his room in disarray.

While no details have emerged about the circumstances of Hernandez' death, he is the latest of more than 30 priests to have been killed in Mexico since 2006, most of them in areas plagued by drug violence.

In November, Father Jose Luis Sanchez Ruiz, a priest and human rights activist, was been found alive but tortured after being abducted in the state of Veracruz, the third priest to have been kidnapped since September. The other two were shot and killed.

Accordng to Bishop Fidencio Lopez, Sanchez Ruiz was "dumped, with notable signs of torture" at an undisclosed location.