In an interview given to the EFE news agency, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes assured that he “laughs” at the information published by some media outlets, which Brenes describes as “lies” because he assures that no one but him knows the truth. reality, about the level of information that Pope Francis has about what is happening in Nicaragua and about the priests who have recently gone into exile as a result of the persecution exercised by the Daniel Ortega dictatorship against priests.
Cardinal Brenes’ statements contrast with the publications of the same priests that confirm that they are in exile, given the increase in repression by the Daniel Ortega regime.
“That is the worst lie that sometimes some media outlets, I don’t know with (what) interests, and some personalities, with what interests, are doing that,” he reproached. Brenes also said he felt “sad” because some reputable media outlets do not verify the news they report.
After the Sunday Eucharist, the hierarch was approached by EFE, and assured that Pope Francis is “super informed” of the situation and prays for the Nicaraguan Catholic Church, as well as the bishops who make up the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council ( Celam).
The cardinal calls the media “scandalous”
“I would like, and I invite (also) you, that any news be verified (before being published), because sometimes it falls into scandals,” he said, referring to the recent case in which Pope Francis summoned the cardinals to a town hall, which Brenes did not attend because his mother was in very poor health for 20 days.
Related news: Monsignor Rolando celebrates 17 days since the kidnapping and almost a month of police siege by Daniel Ortega
According to the cardinal, some media outlets said that “they had taken away his passport” and one person even called him and “asked him: How do you feel that now you cannot leave the country? ”, he said humorously. However, he related the information that circulated in networks to the context in which the country lives.
Convicted, exiled and accused priests
The cardinal assured that there is no type of “dialogue or negotiation with the government” despite the fact that two priests were accused and sentenced. The seven priests who are in prison have been visited by the president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua and bishop of the diocese of Jinotega (north), Carlos Enrique Herrera, and that “steps were made so that the families could be with them”, as confirmed by the archbishop.
Father Uriel Vallejos, pastor of the Divina Misericordia church in Sébaco, confirmed his exile, a decision he made after learning that the order of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo was to arrest him. Confirmation of his departure was announced on Sunday, August 4. A day before – Saturday – a source from the Catholic Church confirmed it to the religious news portal EWTN News.
Related news: Father Uriel Vallejos confirms his exile, after persecution by the Ortega regime
The news of Vallejos’s exile comes after the lawyer Yader Morazán assured on September 1 that the five priests who went into exile are: Fr. Uriel Vallejo, Pbro. Vincent Martinez, Pbro. Sebastian LopezPbro. Mangel Hernandez and Pbro. Danny Garcia.
For his part, Deacon Carlos Mata, of the Diocese of Granada, reported that due to threats from “servile and fanatical people” he was forced to leave his homeland.
Wilfredo Navarro confirms that priests are political prisoners
The Sandinista-allied deputy, Wilfredo Navarro, declared to an official media outlet that the cassock does not give impunity,” referring to priests who have been detained by the Ortega Police.
Related news: Mass is held in Madrid, Spain, to end the repression against the Church in Nicaragua
“What there is here is, some bishops, some priests who, wearing the cassock, have dedicated themselves to doing politics and trying to promote destabilization in the country, in reference to the religious detained by the Ortega Murillo dictatorship.
The Sandinista government arrested Bishop Álvarez and seven other priests, expelled from the country the apostolic nuncio Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag and 18 nuns from the Missionaries of Charity order, founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. However, the cardinal as leader of the Church Católica in Nicaragua has taken a hermetic position with respect to the direct attack by Sandinismo.
