Monsignor Silvio Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, based his homily on the fourth Sunday of Lent on the story of the blind man whose sight was restored by Jesus Christ, stating that the character of the biblical story “represents each believer, who throughout life grows and matures in its knowledge of Jesus».
Alluding to the social context in which Nicaragua is experiencing, the prelate pointed out that there are currently “blindnesses that dehumanize life and coexistence” and that really “they are blind who call evil good and good they call it evil, and who persist in the evil they commit and reject all correction.
Related news: Monsignor Báez urges society to “fight, denounce” and not fall into “passivity”
“Those who think that having money and accumulating material goods make people happy and great are blind (…) Those who think they will obtain different results by always doing the same are blind,” the bishop said.
Referring to the “peace” that the dictators Daniel and Rosario Murillo promote daily, and who nevertheless continue to commit crimes against Nicaraguans, the prelate said that “in social life those who believe that peace can arise as a result of subjugation and of the repression».
“Those who believe they are powerful are blind because they violate the rights and freedoms of people,” the religious stressed in a clear signal to the Nicaraguan presidential couple.
Blindness of the accomplices of the repression
Referring to the accomplices of the repression, Báez indicated that they are also “blind” because “they choose to remain silent when they see that people are attacked, repressed or exiled and they think that the same fate will never touch them».
«Those who think that with their indifference and silence in the face of injustice, they will be able to be treated with benevolence by tyrants are blind. Those who naively believe that there are people or political systems that are eternal and will never pass away are blind, and for this reason they worship them and give them their hearts and consciences,” he added.
Related news: “They will not prevent the Crucified from revealing his victory in every act of solidarity,” says Monsignor Báez to Ortega
Despite the adversities, Monsignor Báez asserted that just like the blind man who regained his sight “blindness should not last forever, we can be enlightened by Jesus and become authentic believers.”
In turn, he emphasized that believers, like the blind man in the story, “many times we are misunderstood, criticized and persecuted, but we face life with confidence because we know that we live in the loving hands of a good God who is our Father”.
Exhorting the Catholic parishioner from the Santa Agatha Church, the priest said “we are not made to live in the dark (…) We know that the light of Jesus is always with us and, like the man blind from birth, we let ourselves be continuously illuminated by him ».
Let us not live in deceit, let us not reject the truth, let us not close ourselves in our ideas, let us not resign ourselves to the darkness —because— when we close ourselves in our lies and our pride, we remain blind, he concluded.
On the other hand, Monsignor Silvio Báez returned to demand justice and freedom for his brother Monsignor Rolando Alvarez, political prisoner “of the Sandinista dictatorship of Nicaragua. Let us pray that the Lord gives Rolando health and strength and that very soon he can be next to his people ».
He also called on Nicaraguans not to forget the Bishop of Matagalpa “who is a just man, an innocent shepherd who has been ruthless because they have not endured his word.”
