The bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, Monsignor Rolando Jose Alvareztook to the streets and with the Blessed Sacrament in his hands he preached, prayed and sang praises in front of a large group of police officers, who since the morning of this Thursday, August 4, imposed a fence around the Archbishop’s Curia of Matagalpa —where the religious leader — and blocked Catholic priests, parishioners, choir staff and media from entering the building early.
In a Live transmission, through TV-Merced, it was observed that the Police have installed a whole device: two armed officers guard the door of the Curia, a patrol with other agents is in front and in the corner, there are about five traffic police.
The prelate walked among the officers, praying, singing and begging for the intimidation to stop. “Why do they cause anxiety in the population, why do they stir the hearts of a hardworking people, of a faithful people, of a good people, of a simple people, of a friendly people, such as the Nicaraguan people”cried the priest.
They demanded that the Police allow them to work in their pastoral works. That they facilitate the entry of priests and collaborators into the Curia so that they can carry out their daily activities.
“What need is there to deploy all those police forces? If it was so simple, to leave my house, to leave the door of my normal curia, like any house so that they would enter to pray, so that we would enter to adore the Lord…. and they surround the curia as if it were a barracks, as if it were what, as if we were conspiring against whom, if we love them, we love them”said the religious leader.
He remembered that the policemen were Nicaraguan brothers and tried to give them a brotherly hug, but none would allow it. The bishop kept repeating that there was no need for a deployment of forces like the one that occurred this Thursday in Matagalpa. “We are not doing anything against anyone”.
Warning about your own safety
Bishop Álvarez recalled that at night he remains accompanied by his vicar general and Jesus in the sacrament. “Anything that happens to me, here you will already know. I hope nothing happens. That they respect my life, I hope that they respect my integrity, that they respect the diocesan church of Matagalpa. Here I am. God’s faithful people already know”commented.
He announced that this Thursday at 4:00 pm he will go to the Cathedral of Matagalpa for the “Holy Hour”, and at 5:30 pm to celebrate the Holy Mass. He hopes that by then there will be no police impediment for the faithful to join the pastoral celebrations.
The priest pointed out that this Thursday is the feast of Saint John Mary Vianney, patron saint of priests. Therefore, a day of sanctification and protection of the priests is carried out.
The Ortega regime has persecuted and besieged Monsignor Álvarez, one of the most critical voices of the Catholic Church. Last May he was forced to take shelter in a temple in Managua, from where he left under the accompaniment of other pastors. His transfer to Matagalpa was heavily guarded by more than five patrols.
This new attack against the bishop occurs while the priest Uriel Vallejos, in charge of the Jesús de la Divina Misericordia parish, in Sébaco, meets three days of staying with six faithful under siege by the Police, which has taken over the Catholic temple, while they remain in the parish house. In addition to the closure of ten stations of the Diocese.
The Ortega regime’s attack against the Catholic Church has been frontal since 2018, when they raised their voices to denounce the human rights violations that Nicaraguans were being victims of and arranged their temples as a refuge from state violence. This was enough for them to be persecuted by the Sandinista Front, which has been in charge of promoting smear campaigns, sending mobs to desecrate temples and beat religious, ordering a police siege and imprisoning them, as has happened with Fathers Manuel García and Leonard Urbina.
