The auxiliary bishop of Managua, Monsignor Silvio Jose Baezurged the congregation not to imitate “those who have made cruelty and wickedness a lifestyle” and not to be discouraged by “the apparent triumph of injustice and violence” in Nicaragua.
“Let us not get used to a false normality in which fear reigns and tears abound. Let us never choose resignation. Let us remain at all costs in the love that puts people at the center and dreams and fights for a better world, ”said the bishop from the temple of Santa Agatha, in Miami, United States, where he remains in exile.
At a time when sociopolitical crisis that Nicaragua has been going through for four years continues to worsen without anyone seeing a quick solution, the bishop pointed out that “when everything turns dark and things do not turn out as we hope”, believers in Christ should not “give up love”.
Báez recalled that authentic Christians “make ourselves known by the love with which we love. We make ourselves known because we love as he has loved us” and “not because of the rites that we practice, nor because of the religious speeches that we make. Even less, when they distill aggressiveness and falsify the holy name of God”, he stressed.
“Where the powerful impose themselves with cruelty, as experts in making people cry and cause pain, those who love like Jesus denounce those who make them suffer, take the side of those who suffer, fight against suffering and introduce consolation and hope into hearts. wounded,” said the priest.
Avoid hate and revenge
A similar message was expressed by the bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, Monsignor Rolando Alvarezwho urged the population not to fall “into the temptation of hatred and revenge” despite the constant injustices committed in the country.
The bishop reflected that “Nicaragua is besieged by some temptations” such as fear, despair, hatred, revenge, resentment and lust “of wanting to respond with the same coin” to people who hurt. However, he valued, “we Nicaraguans cannot, we must not allow these temptations to filter through even a crack in our hearts.”
Although in Nicaraguawe live stalked by dark forces” that “would like us to pay with the same currency”, warned Monsignor Álvarez. “Hate is typical of the weakbecause he who is weak in the capacity to love has to hide in hatred, in arrogance… he needs to hide behind a mask,” continued the bishop from the San Isidro Labrador parish in the municipality of Condega, Estelí.
Álvarez, who is one of the most critical voices of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN)also made a call to the population to take care of the planet, avoid agricultural burning, stop throwing garbage in the streets, stop cutting down pine forests and open-pit mining.
