The Bluefields Propaedeutic Seminar «Saint John Paul II»closed its doors due to lack of funds, after the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, ordered the freezing of the accounts of the Catholic Church, denounced the lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, on her Twitter account.
Molina, who is a researcher and author of the report «Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?», explained that the decision of the Diocese of Bluefields comes almost a month after the Police announced an investigation into the accounts of the Catholic Church, which they ordered to be frozen. The dictatorship tries to silence the religious institution by considering it «an uncomfortable voice».
The Propedeutic Seminary is the place where future priests live their first stage as religious aspirants, where they carry out basic studies and then move on to Theology and Philosophy classes.
«There, the candidate is offered academic, human, pastoral and spiritual elements that help him in his human and Christian growth and in his vocational discernment. The Bluefields Propaedeutic is national, there are boys from the seven dioceses of the country. The dictatorship’s attacks on the Nicaraguan Catholic Church have forced the conclusion of the first semester, but it will not be possible to open for the second semester due to lack of funds.»Molina denounced.
Regime does not give truce to the clergy
On May 18, the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo canceled the legal status of the Universidad Católica Inmaculada Concepción de María (UCICAM), owned by the Archdiocese of Managua.
According to a ministerial agreement, published that day in La Gaceta, the cancellation of the legal status of the Immaculate Conception Catholic University of the Archdiocese of Managua (UCICAM) was approved by Amelia Coronel, Minister of the Interior.
Apparently, the directors of this university, which was granted legal personality on June 25, 2012, decided to dissolve it before the regime confiscated it.
According to the publication of La Gaceta, the house of studies «failed to comply with its legal obligations in 2015», by not disclosing its financial statements and board of directors. Directors of the Immaculate Conception Catholic University have approved the application «of voluntary dissolution» as of January 10, 2023.
The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega has canceled universities and non-governmental organizations that were affiliated with the Catholic Church, as part of its continuous frontal war against it.
Bishop remains in jail
Currently, the dictatorship keeps Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, imprisoned.
On February 9, Monsignor Álvarez was sentenced by the Sandinista justice system to 26 years and four months in prison for the alleged crimes of treason and propagation of false news.
According to the latest report presented by lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua has suffered at least 529 attacks by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo since 2018, when the anti-government protests began.
By: United Voices.
