The Archdiocese of Managua expressed this Friday night its “closeness” with the Diocese of Matagalpa and its bishop, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, whom the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo initiated an “investigation” for supposedly “organizing violent groups” in that city in the north of the country.
“The Archdiocese of Managua expresses its closeness to the sister Diocese of Matagalpa, in particular with its pastor Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez and his priests in the face of the difficult circumstances they are experiencing,” reads the concise statement from the religious entity.
This Friday night, Bishop Álvarez performed the second night of singing to Nicaragua and to God from the Episcopal Curia, where he is being held. From there he thanked the Archdiocese for his solidarity and those who have shown solidarity in these moments of government persecution.
Related news: Ortega orders an “investigation” against Bishop Rolando Álvarez and his team and imposes a de facto prison on them
“On behalf of my brothers, I would like to thank the Archdiocese of Managua, whose clergy has issued a statement today, the clergy of the Diocese of Estelí, the clergy of the Diocese of Siuna, the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), which is the body that brings together all the Latin American bishops, the bishops of Latin America who, through a video, a phone call, have made themselves feel close to us. Thank you all,” Alvarez said.
This Friday night, the Ortega Police accused the Catholic leader of trying to “organize violent groups”, supposedly “with the purpose of destabilizing the State of Nicaragua and attacking the constitutional authorities”, and an investigation process has been initiated with the purpose to determine criminal liability.
Álvarez has been held since Thursday in the Episcopal Palace, which is besieged by special police forces, who will not let him out together with six priests and six lay people.
The repressive institution stated that “the high authorities of the Catholic Church” in the department of Matagalpa, “taking advantage of their status as religious leaders, using the media and social networks, are trying to organize violent groups.”
“With the certainty in Christ the Good Shepherd, we want to evangelize in time and out of time, trusting that frank and respectful communication can open paths of understanding,” reads the statement of the Archdiocese.
The Police, led by Francisco Díaz, brother-in-law of the country’s president, Daniel Ortega, indicated that, “to guarantee peace and citizen security, it has established protection measures for the population, so that these events do not happen again.”
Likewise, it said that “it has initiated an investigation process, in order to determine the criminal responsibility of the persons involved in the commission of these criminal acts, of which the Public Ministry and the Judicial Power have been informed.”
“The people under investigation – which he did not mention – will remain in their homes,” he added.
(With information from EFE)
