In the midst of siege, imprisonment, legal accusations against priests, seminarians and laity and the prohibition of religious processions in various departments of Nicaragua, the image of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Camoapa, was taken down from the main altar and toured the main streets of the city at the beginning of the patron saint festivities of that municipality.
In previous days, Radio Camoapa Estéreo had reported that religious activities such as the processions for the San Francisco de Asís festivities would not take place within the framework of the patron saint festivities. Said information was disclosed after a meeting of the Parish Council of the San Francisco de Asís Church in that municipality.
Hundreds of people packed the temple to accompany their patron saint on a tour of the town. Camoapa begins its festivities in honor of its patron saint with the lowering of the image. The big day of the celebration is the fourth of October, when the image travels through the streets of the municipality.
Related news: Police prohibit Camoapa from celebrating patron saints in honor of San Francisco de Asís
Religious processions and activities outside the temples such as processions and pilgrimages have been prohibited in the departments of Managua, Masaya and Matagalpa. Processions of the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima, Virgin of La Merced, San Miguel Arcángel and San Jerónimo, respectively, could not be held in these cities.
Recently, the Ortega dictatorship prohibited the evangelical church from celebrating Bible Day throughout the national territory, under the argument of “safety for the participants.” The prohibition of these Christian activities occurs in a context of religious persecution in Nicaragua.
The Ortega Murillo regime keeps a dozen religious in prison accused of various crimes such as alleged sexual abuse of a minor and violence against women. A group of priests, seminarians and lay people were recently charged with unspecified crimes. Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalparemains locked up with police custody in his family home in Managua.
