Monsignor Silvio Baez, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, made a call not to fall into indifference or remain silent in the face of acts of injustice. The message of the Catholic hierarch comes in the midst of the religious persecution undertaken by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
The religious leader referred to the Gospel according to Saint Matthew corresponding to this Saturday, August 27, which recounts the parable of the talents: God entrusts his gifts or talents to his children, waiting for them to develop them without fear.
“It scared me, and I went and hid your talent in the ground” (Mt 25:25)”, emphasized the prelate, while pointing out that “as serious or worse than doing evil is doing nothing”.
“To be silent out of fear, not to show solidarity, not to raise your voice against injustice, is to bury life and faith under conformism and indifference,” added Monsignor Báez, who is in exile in the face of the onslaught of the Nicaraguan dictatorship. .
Monsignor Báez’s advice is given in a context of the imprisonment of priests in Nicaragua. Among the priests “kidnapped” are Monsignor Rolando Álvarez—held at his family home in Managua—, the priests of the Diocese of Matagalpa Ramiro Tijerino, José Luis Díaz, Sadiel Eugarrios, Raúl González, the seminarians Darvin Leyva and Melkin Sequeira, along with to cameraman Sergio Cárdenas. All locked up in the Directorate of Judicial Assistance, known as “El Nuevo Chipote”, in Managua.
In the same “torture center” is Father Óscar Benavidez, from the diocese of Siuna. No charges have been filed against any of them.
In turn, the dictatorship has convicted of common crimes Monsignor Leonardo Urbinaparish priest of Boaco, and Father Manuel Salvador García, parish priest of Nandaime, who were subjected to arbitrary trials behind closed doors.
After several questions to Pope Francis for his “silence”, the supreme pontiff referred to the situation in Nicaragua on Sunday, August 21. “I hope that through an open and sincere dialogue the bases can be found for a respectful and peaceful coexistence,” the pope said, without mentioning the kidnappings.
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The words of the holy father were considered “soft” by some priests in the region and by opponents who ruled out any dialogue with Ortega.
Shortly after, the diocese of Estelí issued a statement addressed to the “Government of Nicaragua” demanding the release of its Bishop Álvarez and other imprisoned religious.
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“What do you want? What are they doing?” the religious questioned the Ortega regime, holding him responsible for causing unrest, inciting hatred and violence, and hurling slurs at priests. “We call on them to convert and to stop bothering our lives, let us work in peace!” they demanded.
