The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN) broke the silence and expressed his fraternity with Monsignor Rolando Alvarezand the openness to collaborate with the authorities to build “that civilization of love” and peace.
“Given the situation that our brother in the episcopate, Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, is experiencing, we want to express our fraternity, friendship and episcopal communion with him, since this situation touches our hearts as bishops and the Nicaraguan Church. “Well, if a member suffers, we all suffer with him (1 Co 2,26)”, “says the brief statement from the CEN, headed by Monsignor Carlos Herrera and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, in the Presidency and Vice Presidency, respectively.
He adds that they manifest “the feeling of our Church that, by nature, proclaims the Gospel of Peace and is open to collaboration with all national and international authorities to care for this great universal good (…) and thus, together we build that Civilization of Love, of which Pope Saint John Paul II always spoke to us».
The statement was issued this Sunday, August 7, four days after the police siege that was denounced by Monsignor Álvarez in the streets of Matagalpa. The bishop of the diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí left the episcopal curia with the Blessed Sacrament in his hands before a strong police force that surrounded the area and did not allow him to celebrate the Eucharist with the priests and other members of the Catholic community who they would accompany
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Monsignor Álvarez, a critical voice of the dictatorship, was accused by the Police of trying to “destabilize” the State and imposed a de facto “house arrest” for being under alleged investigation, hours after the regime’s spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, threatened him. with jail.
Related news: Monsignor Álvarez is “kidnapped”. Police usurps functions of judges to fulfill whims of locking him up
On Friday night, August 5, the Archdiocese of Managua, presided over by Cardinal Brenes, expressed its “closeness” with the northern diocese and its pastor, Álvarez. «We want to evangelize in time and out of time, trusting that frank and respectful communication can open paths of understanding», he expressed.
In the last seven days, the regime increased the siege on priests and bishops and closed Catholic media outlets, managed by Monsignor Álvarez. This is added to the expulsion of members of religious communities, desecration of temples and the imprisonment of two catholic priests.
