The Episcopal Conference of Colombia showed its solidarity and rapprochement with the Church of Nicaragua due to the resurgence of the harassment that its religious leaders have suffered at the hands of the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
The letter dated August 14 comes after the attack against Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, news that has spread to different parts of the world due to the de facto prison imposed by the Ortega Police, under the excuse that they «investigate» it to «create anxiety in the population».
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“The Catholic bishops of Colombia, together with all the faithful of the people of God of our nation, greet the sister Church that pilgrims in Nicaragua, wishing them peace from God, our Father,” highlights the Colombian Episcopal Conference.
The CEC emphasizes that the situation to which the Nicaraguan Catholic Church is subjected «confused us and hurt us. We know of the difficulties they are experiencing to freely express their expressions of faith and worship, as well as the lack of guarantees to exercise their fundamental rights.
The Colombian bishops affirm that as “members of the same Church of Christ” they appreciate the work of the priests in Nicaragua, which continues to suffer from the onslaught of the Ortega government. In addition, they claim to join “the various voices that have expressed themselves worldwide against the hostilities suffered by the Church in Nicaragua.”
For its part, Monsignor Luis José Rueda, Archbishop of Bogotá and president of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, expressed that they remain in solidarity with the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua. “We have told them that we are very concerned, that what is happening there with the Church hurts us a lot,” he stressed.
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“This harassment hurts us; We are also pained by those signs of persecution and violation of human rights that prevent the expression of faith in Jesus Christ the Lord. He is the King of peace, he does not invite reconciliation and that is why we are expressing our unity from Colombia, with all the lay faithful and with the brother bishops of Nicaragua, “said the religious.
At the end of the letter, the religious concluded that they continue their prayers for all those who are persecuted, marginalized and silenced. “We raise our prayers to the Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, so that she may accompany all Nicaraguans with her maternal love and allow them to achieve the grace of reconciliation, peace and the free expression of her faith in Jesus Christ. »
