The auxiliary bishop of Managua in exile, Monsignor Silvio José Báez, acknowledged, during his homily on the fifth Sunday of Easter, that “the tyrants have not been able to subdue” the greatness, dignity and indomitable spirit of the people of Nicaragua.
The exiled bishop, who officiated this Sunday from the parish of Our Lady of the Lake, in Chicago, United States, took advantage of his preaching to express that “even in the midst of the oppression and cruelty to which our people continue to be subjected, they have shown their greatness and dignity, its indomitable spirit and its vocation for freedom and justice”, because it is a “noble and believing people, who continue to resist, dream and fight”.
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Likewise, during his homily, Monsignor Báez dedicated recognition to all the victims of Ortega’s repression, who “are also a sign of God in our history,” referring to political prisoners, exiles, and the persecuted. And he highlighted, among this long history of victims, “our beloved brother Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa, witness to the Gospel and prophet of God, unjustly outraged and imprisoned, for whom we pray and demand his immediate release, which we are sure will It will happen very soon.”
This Sunday’s reading was dedicated to the words that Jesus addressed to his disciples shortly before his passion and death, written in the Gospel of John, 14,1.
«Jesus asks his disciples not to worry about the tragic events of his passion and his cross. His words are unforgettable: Don’t let your heart be disturbed, don’t lose your cool, don’t let yourself be robbed of peace, believe in God and believe in me as well,” Monsignor Báez remarked.
Returning to this teaching, the Bishop recalled that in the history of peoples there are painful historical times, “in which the ambition for power, the irrationality of violence and disrespect for the freedom and dignity of people seem to prevail.” however, for the religious, “in the face of these situations that sometimes seem to overwhelm us, Jesus invites us to trust God and trust in Him.”
He stressed that the history of Nicaragua, in these last five years, cannot be understood “without the presence and mission of the Church, which continues to be slandered, persecuted and outraged” for denouncing lies and injustice, and defending the victims. and the dignity of people. “The church will not tire of living animated by these words and announcing them to everyone to give strength and keep hope alive,” Báez said.
call to unity
Monsignor Báez, one of the most critical voices within the Church, against the Ortega-Murillo tyranny, reflected that “at a time of such polarization in our society, in the midst of so many useless confrontations between those who dream of an ideal of freedom It is consoling to know that there is ‘a way’ that can bring us closer to each other and lead us to the truth and to life. It’s Jesus. He is the most accurate way to live, the most reliable truth to guide, the most hopeful secret of life.
«It is of little use that we call ourselves conservative or progressive, of being right or left. If we want to build a new society, the option we must make is another, “” the auxiliary bishop urged.
Finally, the bishop urged the unity of the opposition. Monsignor Báez taught that “if we choose Jesus as our way, we will learn to be tolerant without renouncing justice, we will be able to unite without sacrificing diversity, we will be able to promote inclusion without ever accepting impunity.”
