In his first homily in 2022, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, Monsignor Silvio José Báez, criticized the “tyrants who subdue and oppress” the people, in order to “secure themselves in power”, and he called the tyrants who disguise themselves as defenders of peace “cruel and heartless,” a reference to the Nicaraguan presidential couple Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
He stressed that “in order to subdue and oppress, many tyrants of yesterday and today have not hesitated to present themselves as pious believers and have tried to cover their inhuman projects with religious language.”
He also referred to how tyrants sustain their regimes at any cost, through “calculation, cynicism, lies, cruelty, terror, contempt for human beings and the destruction of the innocent.”
“If they do not cheat, they decide to kill innocent people, deceit and crime are still the preferred branches of today’s tyrants,” said the religious.
Báez’s message occurs in a context close to the date of the inauguration of Ortega’s fourth consecutive term, under a police state and at least 167 political prisoners.
“Specialists in lies“
The priest urged his parishioners urgently to “the spiritual discernment and the brave and prophetic voice to unmask the manipulation of religion and the holy name of God” of the “tyrants of today.”
“Today’s tyrants try to deceive people, the innocent, you have to be vigilant because they are specialists in lies and manipulation”
He also gave words of encouragement and used as an example the story of the Magi who “even in the midst of darkness” and Herod’s deceptions, followed the shining star and reached the manger of the child God. In addition “The Lord will always make a star shine in our lives that always reignites and invites us to move on ”.
“Tyrants appear to be brave and appear haughty and aggressive but they are very fearful, they live in fear and feel continually threatened,” said the bishop.
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