A larger procession was scheduled but prohibited by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. Like the Good Shepherd, he refused to leave the country or abandon his flock to the OrtegaMurillo regime. He was also stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. Instead, a smaller procession was held in the atrium of the cathedral. The organization, which has also strongly condemned Alvarez's arrest, said human rights violations in Nicaragua have reached a critical stage since 2018. Mondays, October 17 to June 23, 2023 - 7:45 to 9. All rights reserved.Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Jagger said: "I appeal to the international community to condemn the OrtegaMurillo regime's cruel, illegal and unjust sentencing of the bishop and to do everything in their power to obtain his release. This Lent, please consider making a donation to Aleteia. VATICAN CITY, March 12 (Reuters) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has ordered the closure of the Vatican Embassy in Managua and that of the Nicaraguan Embassy to the Vatican in Rome, a senior Vatican source said on Sunday. Even though both the UN and most Western governments have accused Ortegas regime of illegally attempting to crush any and all opposition in Nicaragua, the closing of these universities was published in the countrys official gazette La Gaceta.As it happened with the unions, these universities had their legal status canceled for alleged contraventions of the law, not handing over to the National Council of Universities of Nicaragua (CNU) their financial reports. On May 20, he published a video on Facebook saying that he had been chased during the day by the national police. The universities, all of them private, were ordered to send all the information they had on record regarding students, professors, programs, study plans, and other details to the National Council of Universities immediately. Such actions have the purpose of destabilizing the State of Nicaragua and attacking the constitutional authorities, the press release continued. In Latin America, street protests can quickly oust a government. St. Mary's Syro Malankara Catholic Church: Syro-Malankara: North York: Meets at St. Norbert's Catholic Church St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Ukrainian: Trinity-Bellwoods: Sts. IE 11 is not supported. In March, the Ortega-Murillo regime expelled the papal nuncio from Nicaragua; in June, it stripped the legal status from the community of nuns founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, forcing them to leave the country. The Nicarguan president has called the bishops terrorists and devils in cassocks.. .css-tadcwa:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Daniel Esparza - @media screen and (max-width: 767px){.css-1xovt06 .date-separator{display:none;}.css-1xovt06 .date-updated{display:block;width:100%;}}published on 03/14/23. MATAGALPA, Nicaragua ( LifeSiteNews) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's anti-Catholic regime is continuing its attack on the Catholic Church, this time . We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. billing. We stand with Nicaraguans in opposing these desperate attempts to silence an entire nation. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols expressed outrage at the conduct of the regime. Pope Francis allegedly compared Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government to a communist or Nazi dictatorship, which caused the country's Catholic Church to consider severing ties with the Vatican. The latest target is radio stations. The State Department noted that a journalist from La Prensa said the regime has been engaging in open war against the Catholic Church since April 2018, when peaceful, nationwide anti-government protests were met with brutal force, and priests and bishops condemned the response and repression. Dozens of religious figures were arrested or fled the country. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In recent months, Nicaragua's government has escalated its effort to silence dissent by waging a systematic campaign of repression against the Catholic Church. We have sister language agencies in Kenya, Germany, Peru, Brazil, and Italy. Study on the Christian Letters of the New Testament. Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. The relations between the Church in Nicaragua and Ortegas regime became particularly strained starting in April 2018, when protests broke out over social security reforms implemented by the government. The leftist regime of President Daniel Ortega continued its persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua with several acts of repression over the weekend. (20182022), compiled by attorney Martha Patricia Molina Montenegro, a member of the Pro-Transparency and Anti-Corruption Observatory, in less than four years, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been the target of 190 attacks and desecrations, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral as well as police harassment and persecution of bishops and priests. On the same day that the exiled Nicaraguans were transported to the United States, lvarez was transferred to La Modelo prison, which Jagger says is considered "one of the most brutal in Latin America.". Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. In the last five years, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has gone through more than 190 attacks and desecrations, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral,the expulsion of the Missionaries of Charity, theimprisonment of Bishop Rolando lvarez,the exile and stripping of the citizenship of more than 222 former political prisoners, priests, bishops, and seminarians included, the banning oftraditional public processions of the Way of the Cross in all parishes in the countryduring Lent and Easter, and the closure of seven universities two of them with ties to the Catholic Church, John Paul II Catholic University and the Autonomous Christian University. At the time, the Holy See expressed its surprise and pain at the measure. Nicaraguas Catholic Church has previously acted as a mediator between the government and . Relations between the church and the Nicaraguan government have been deteriorating since 2018, when authorities violently repressed antigovernment protests. He is the symbol of resistance in Nicaragua. When there is unjust persecution, when silence is imposed, when all freedoms are taken away, he said, it becomes a total social crime., Academic and legal scholar Mara Asuncin Moreno is a member of the alliance and was part of the national dialogue. Tension Grows Between Government, Catholic Church in Nicaragua August 20, 2022 FILE - Anti-government demonstrators during a march supporting the Catholic Church, in Managua, Nicaragua, July 28, 2018. MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) Nicaragua s government said Sunday it has proposed suspending relations with the Vatican days after Pope Francis reportedly compared President Daniel Ortegas administration to a communist or Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the Central American country. Pope Francis had remained largely silent on the issue, apparently not wanting to inflame tensions, but in a March 10 interview with Argentine media outlet Infobae he called Ortegas government a rude dictatorship led by an unbalanced president. Bishop lvarez has been sentenced to 26 years in prison, but his family is unsure of his whereabouts according to latest reports. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. Religion has long been part of Ortegas discourse. When you place your order, your Church Militant Premium membership will be activated. They were eventually detained and given a "conspiracy" term. Bermdez, the exiled priest, considers Ortegas religious discourse as a political strategy. Canales also called out the corruption of the OrtegaMurillo regime:"In Nicaragua, they can fabricate any crime against you because there is control of all branches of government by the executive.". Fri Sep 23, 2022 - 2:52 pm EDT. The Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff are a team of journalists dedicated to reporting news concerning the Catholic Church around the world. Rolando Jose lvarez Lagos. At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. In less than four years, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been the target of 190 attacks and desecrations, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral, as well as police harassment and. Now, seven universities,two of them with ties to the Catholic Church, were closed just a day after stripping 18 employer unions of their legal status in an ongoing clampdown on dissent. He has now been accused of carrying out acts of hate against the population.. By Ross Douthat. Ortega accused Catholic figures who supported the opposition as an anit-government that wanted to overthrow him. The month before, he expelled two congregations of nuns includingthe Missionaries of Charity order founded by Mother Teresa. When the government deported 222 political prisoners, lvarez refused to get on the plane and was put in the Modelo prison, where thousands of common criminals are held. The truth is that in years before President Ortega assumed power, these frontal attacks against the religious institution were not carried out, she points out. Several religious figures were arrested or fled the country, and two congregations of nuns were expelled last year. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Catholic leaders sheltered protesters in their . The human rights defenderpersonally shared a recent appeal with Church Militant on behalf of her Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation. Copyright Aleteia SAS all rights reserved. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, religious figures were arrested or fled the country. 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Expelled Local media said 18 nuns from the Missionaries of Charity were driven to the border in a bus escorted. In Malawi, where floods swept away entire villages this month after a storm tore through its southern districts, police officers and soldiers on Friday dug for victims buried under the mud and rocks as the death toll rose sharply. The story so far: Tensions between Nicaragua and the Catholic Church are once again on the rise after a series of actions taken by the government of Daniel Ortega, the country's President.. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega speaks next to first lady and Vice President Rosario Murillo during the inauguration ceremony of a highway overpass in Managua on March 21, 2019. Nicaragua signalled that the move, which came a few days after Pope Francis compared the Nicaraguan government to a dictatorship, was "a suspension" of diplomatic relations. A Catholic pastor in Nicaragua's Mulukuku has been detained for undisclosed reasons amid a growing crackdown on the Catholic Church by the government of President Daniel Ortega. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNAs Spanish-language news partner. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNAs Spanish-language news partner. The URL has been copied to your clipboard, Rolando Alvarez prays at a Catholic church where he is taking refuge alleging he had been targeted by the police, in Managua, Nicaragua. HAVANA TIMES - In the past weeks, there've been several attacks on Catholic houses of worship in different parts of the Nicaraguan territory. Events. Ortega branded Catholic figures he saw as sympathetic to the opposition as terrorists who had backed efforts to overthrow him. | Getty Images, Called by God from childhood, triplets from Brazil belong to the same religious order, No, Pope Francis didnt really hint that the requirement for priestly celibacy will be lifted, German bishops announce plans to bless same-sex unions, allow laypeople to baptize and preach at Mass, Signs of hope and renewal amid the dramatic decline of the Catholic Church in Ireland, The image of the Virgin Mary that wept tears of blood on St. Patricks Day, Cardinals Mller, Burke rebuke German bishops over same-sex union blessings, Central American bishops support Nicaraguan clergy in face of persecution, Nicaraguan bishop charges police, government persecution, Nicaragua government expels Vatican diplomat. At the same time, Nicaraguas repression of the Catholic Church has intensified. Tensions between the Nicaraguan government and the Catholic Church began in 2018 when the authorities violently repressed anti-government protests. By clicking the "Continue" button, you agree to the ChurchMilitant.com Terms of Use and ChurchMilitant.com Privacy Policy. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. The government of Nicaragua has made efforts in making moves against the church that are believed to be "Terrorists." According to AP News, the relationship between the church and the Nicaraguan government had declined since 2018, when the government violently suppressed anti-government protests. The report cites the harassment and intimidation of Catholic worshippers by the Nicaraguan National Police; death threats against members of the clergy; accusations against priests and bishops for national security crimes; attacks by the police and violent mobs of pro-government supporters on religious institutions. 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The students would then be transferred to other national universities, and all university property will now be handled by the state. If you have a gift code you would like to redeem, click here. Church-state tensions in the Central American country heated up in 2018, when Nicaraguans took to the streets to protest changes in the state pension system. The official cancellation asserted that the Caritas members decided to close down: On January 31 of the year two thousand and twenty-three, through Act No. One year ago, the Nicaraguan government expelled the apostolic nuncio Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, who had advocated for the release of hundreds of imprisoned opponents in 2018 and 2019. On national television last month, Vice President Rosario Murillo, who is Ortega's wife, touted her love for and faith in God during celebrations of the 43rd anniversary of the Sandinista revolution. In its latest report on the state of religious freedom in Nicaragua, the State Department noted that Nicaragua was once again placed on the Special Watch List for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The statement did not mention comments made by Pope Francis in a recent interview where he called the Nicaraguan president "unbalanced." A human rights organization, Nicaragua Nunca Ms, has estimated that more than 50 religious leaders have fled since 2018, when a social security reform triggered massive protests. Nicaragua's Regime Targets the Catholic Church. . On Aug. 21, Pope Francis called for a dialogue with the government as he expressed worries about the attacks against the church in Nicaragua. Freedom of speech has deteriorated in the country as oppression intensifies. Telemundo's Dunia Elvir has more on. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) Nicaragua 's government said Sunday it has proposed suspending relations with the Vatican days after Pope Francis reportedly compared President Daniel Ortega's administration to a communist or Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the Central American country. According to AP News, the relationship between the church and the Nicaraguan government had declined since 2018, when the government violently suppressed anti-government protests. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. - 80 say they are offering a straight dispensation. The governments violent government crackdown left at least 355 dead, the report states. MEXICO CITY (AP) Earlier this month Nicaragua shuttered seven radio stations belonging to the Catholic Church and launched an investigation into the bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando lvarez, accusing him of inciting violent actors "to carry out acts of hate against the population." Jagger repeated reports that the bishop said of the over 200 people being transported out of Nicaragua,"[L]et them go free;I will pay their sentences.". Submit news to our tip line. According to Euro News, some Catholic leaders offered shelter to protesters in their churches, and the church attempted to mediate between the government and the opposition. View all News. ", Included in that number was Bp. Hence, Ortega's repression has been brutal. This has created an atmosphere of general unease. On Aug. 6, unidentified vandals stole the main switch to the cathedrals electrical control system, leaving the cathedral and surrounding grounds without power. The crackdown on the 2018 protests by police and government-affiliated paramilitaries left 355 people dead, more than 2,000 injured and 1,600 detained at various times, according to human rights organizations. lvarez"is a thorn in the side [of the regime] precisely because he is so loved by his people." Jagger reiterated the presiding judge's declaration of the prelate's offenses: The defendant Rolando Jos lvarez Lagos is held to be a "traitor to the country, guilty of being the author of crimes to undermine the national security and sovereignty, spreading fake news through information technology, obstructing an official in the performance of his duties, aggravated disobedience or contempt of authority, all committed concurrently and to the detriment of society and the State of the Republic of Nicaragua.". Have a news tip? Some continue to post their prayers online. He said that for him, helping Nicaraguans was not an act of politics, but one of humanity. On Aug. 7, 1987, the Esquipulas II Peace Accord was signed in Guatemala to end the civil war in Nicaragua and achieve a "lasting peace" in Central America. Nicaragua's Regime Targets the Catholic Church Follow Us Americas Nicaragua's Regime Targets the Catholic Church Nicaragua's Regime Targets the Catholic Church August 25, 2022 Rolando Alvarez prays at a Catholic church where he is taking refuge alleging he had been targeted by the police, in Managua, Nicaragua. Blue for The New York Times. While Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega makes much of his own relationship with Christianity, the former leftist revolutionary's government has precipitated an unprecedented crackdown on the country's Catholic leadership. A bishop sprinkles water on the catholic parishioners at the Metropolitan Cathedral, as a suspension of diplomatic ties between Nicaragua and the Vatican has been proposed according to a Nicaragua . In the last five years, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has gone through more than 190 attacks and desecrations, including a fire in the Managua Cathedral, the expulsion of the Missionaries of . ", The bishop, however, rejected the government's ultimatum of "exile or jail." CNA is a service of EWTN News. The closed universities had their legal status canceled due to alleged law infringements. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Ukrainian: Malvern: 1979 Annunciation Byzantine Romanian: Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic: Moore Park . (File). Thousands were in attendance, many waving Nicaraguan and Vatican flags and crying out, Mary is from Nicaragua and Nicaragua belongs to Mary!, In his homily, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, the archbishop of Managua, the countrys capital, stressed that nothing and no one can take away our love for the Virgin of Fatima because her image is engraved in the mind and heart of each one of us Nicaraguans.. The relationship between the Nicaraguan Catholic Church and the government has been severely strained since the crackdown on the anti-government protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between both sides. [1/5]A bishop sprinkles water on the catholic parishioners at the Metropolitan Cathedral, as a suspension of diplomatic ties between Nicaragua and the Vatican has been proposed according to a Nicaragua's foreign ministry statement, in Managua, Nicaragua March 12, 2023. They have locked us up in the Episcopal Curia., lvarez was one of the priests who mediated peace talks and negotiations between the government and the opposition in 2018. Bishop Lvarez, three priests, and four other hostages were being held there. Ortega's administration has been increasingly isolated internationally since he began cracking down heavily on dissent following street protests that erupted in 2018. March 15, 2023, 5:00 a.m. the expulsion of the Missionaries of Charity, the exile and stripping of the citizenship of more than 222 former political prisoners, priests, bishops, and seminarians included, Pope Franciscompares Nicaragua to Nazis and Communists. The 76-year-old president first took power in 1985 following the 1979 Sandinista revolution, which overthrew the Somoza dictatorship. "Bishop lvarez Lagos, following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, is 'the good shepherd who will lay down his life for his sheep,'"Jagger asserts. Government forces and citizens sympathetic to the regime have routinely harassed Catholic clergy and worshippers. What we are witnessing is an impressive setback for Nicaragua, Iiguez said. Catholic leaders sheltered protesters in their churches, and the church later tried to mediate between the regime and the opposition. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. Nicaragua Nunca Ms and CSW, a British-based organization that advocates for religious freedom around the world, have gathered testimonies from dozens of people who have described harassment, threats, physical violence and arbitrary detention targeted at a range of religious workers. Yearly: $120 a year, To pay in advance without a subscription, click here Alvarez refused to board the plane and was stripped of his citizenship. Since then, no one outside the prison has seen or communicated with lvarez. Jagger is grateful to the Church leaders who, like her, have issued public statements condemning the war on the Church in Nicaragua. . Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. In a recent interview with an Argentine publication Infobae, Francis said the ban on priests having . IE 11 is not supported. Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. In Nicaragua we have a bishop in prison, a very serious and capable man, who wanted to give his testimony and did not accept exile, Francis said, referring to lvarez. Bishop Accountability's list included 13 U.S. bishops, all of whose names had been reported previously, who have been accused of committing abuse or of mishandling allegations brought to them . Nicaraguan Catholics have gathered for a large-scale mass in the capital, Managua, under heavy police presence after a religious procession was prohibited by the government. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. This national dialogue with the government, moderated by Nicaraguan bishops such as Alvarez, presented a series of demands in an attempt to find justice for the victims of the protests. REUTERS/Stringer. The Vatican source said that while the closures do not automatically mean a total break of relations between Managua and the Holy See, they are serious steps towards that possibility. A democratic state must respect and tolerate any religious beliefs and investigate attacks like the ones perpetrated against the Catholic Church. The Vatican called the decision an unjustified unilateral measure.. Our Christian faith will stand, she said. They told me that they obey orders, he said, I now start an indefinite water and serum fasting. He demanded that his familys privacy be respected. Our bureaus are located in Denver, Washington, and Rome. CNA is a service of EWTN News. A 2021 Latinobarmetro poll found that the Catholic Church in Nicaragua was the most trusted institution for 65% of those polled, followed by the government at 38%. The attacks against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua are part of a broader pattern to silence organizations and individuals who are critical to the government, a spokesperson for Amnesty International told NBC News. The Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff are a team of journalists dedicated to reporting news concerning the Catholic Church around the world. Local Nicaraguan sources explain that the obstacles that Ortegas regime imposed on Caritas Nicaragua, such as denying it authorization to receive donations from other organizations (including wine for consecration at Mass), eventually forced them to request the dissolution. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Nicaraguans have turned to social media to denounce the government's repression against church leaders. Hard-hitting news and analysis through an authentic Catholic lens. The Catholic Church is pro-family and so the Catholic faith has got to . Submit news to our tip line, 'Holy Mackerel' Review | St. Patrick's Day Special. You are not signed in as a Premium user; you are viewing the free version of this program. ", Catholic leaders who gave protesters shelter in their churches were brandedas "terrorists" and "devils in cassocks." Alvazez was convicted after he refused to leave the country along with 200 political prisoners released by Ortega's government and sent to the United States. The report notes that in 2018 there were 46 attacks against the Catholic Church, including a mob entering the Managua Cathedral, death threats against Nicaraguan priests, and the desecration of different churches. According to a report titled Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church? Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, who had been critical of Nicaragua's slide away from democracy, had to leave the country suddenly after the government withdrew its approval of the envoy.
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