The bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, resumed his Sunday homilies this Sunday, May 29, at the San Pablo Apóstol Cathedral in Matagalpa. The bishop stopped officiating masses in that temple after he had to take refuge in other religious centers in the face of police persecution imposed by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.
On May 19, 2022, Álvarez denounced that he was persecuted throughout the day by police officers — an institution said to be a repressive arm of the Ortega Murillo regime — and that, for that reason, he would start, protected from the Santo Cristo parish, in Las Colinas, Managua, an “indefinite water and serum fast until the National Police, through the president or Vice President of the Episcopal Conference, just let me know that you are going to respect my family privacy circle.”
Four days later, Álvarez managed to leave the Santo Cristo de Las Colinas parish and took refuge in the Matagalpa Seminary. However, the place was also surrounded by the Police. CONFIDENTIAL revealed that the religious’s departure occurred after a communication between a priest and the Government.
Monsignor Álvarez: “Let’s go to the unity that Christ asks for us today”
In his homily this Sunday, Monsignor Álvarez highlighted the importance of fundamental values such as “humility, respect and forgiveness”, advocating the experimentation of the “unity that Christ today asks the Father for all of us”.
“Just as in a family unity must reign in order, also in society, also in Nicaragua. In this no one should have more right of citizenship than another, neither the orphan nor the widow, neither the Jew nor the Greek, neither the slave nor the free, neither the man nor the woman, neither the poor nor the rich, because we are all one in Christ Jesus”, pointed out the religious.
In addition, he stressed that “the only way for a person, a family, a society to grow, the only way for the life of peoples to advance is the culture of reunion, a culture in which everyone has something good to contribute and everyone can receive something good in return, this open, available and non-judgmental attitude”.
The bishop also urged that each person “look within their own conscience, to get out of the interests that atrophy the heart, to overcome indifference towards the other and to overcome their own extremes, and walk towards unity, only then will we move forward . Cheer up Nicaragua!” He did not comment on his particular situation of persecution and threat by the regime.
Monsignor Báez: “We are threatened and persecuted”
Monsignor Silvio José Báez during the homily he officiated this Sunday at the Santa Agatha Church in Miami, United States, highlighted that the Church and its disciples are threatened and persecuted for carrying the gospel of Jesus.
“We are threatened and persecuted by dark forces hostile to the Gospel, but we are the witnesses of Jesus. It is we to whom Jesus has entrusted the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom. To us, gathered here, he tells us like those first disciples: You are my witnesses, I trust you, you will continue my mission”, he indicated.
In addition, he encouraged the faithful to “fight against the false normality that despotic powers want to impose on oppressed peoples” and approach “the poor and the victims, bringing them the consolation of God and assuring them the triumph of justice.”
