Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, expressed that the Church has always experienced “special situations” when consulted by Article 66 for the persecution, siege and harassment that the Nicaraguan dictatorship has imposed against the priest Harving Padilla and the bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez.
«We always live special situations in the Church. Always in all countries there have been very special situations and our response (has been) prayer. We respect the decisions made by institutions,” said Brenes at the end of the Sunday mass at the Managua Cathedral.
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Regarding the closure of Channel 51, a Catholic channel owned by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN), Archbishop Brenes assured that “we cannot agree, but our strength is prayer and we know that the word of God always arrives even if there are situations adverse, the Lord always knows how to reach and be the consolation for all people».
«We continue to accompany Father Harving (Padilla) as a parish priest in prayer. We continue to accompany Monsignor Rolando (Álvarez). Let’s make a whole army praying the holy rosary because prayer is our strength. The Church is not an adversarial institution; rather, it is an institution of dialogue always seeking and working for the common good of the people », he affirmed.
When asked about the possibility of imprisoning priests who are under police siege, the cardinal said succinctly: “We hope that never happens.
The persecution against the priests
Father Harving Padilla and the Bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, who is fasting and praying indefinitely in the Santo Cristo de Las Colinas Church in Managua, are experiencing a permanent siege by the Police.
The parishes of San Juan Bautista de Masaya and Santo Cristo de Esquipulas in Managua are besieged by a strong force of police officers and have not allowed the faithful to enter mass.
In its attack against the Catholic Church, the regime ordered Channel 51, Canal Católico, owned by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua and managed by Monsignor Álvarez, to be removed from the country’s cable companies.
