The National Police prohibited the parish of Santo Domingo de Guzmán de las Sierritas from making the traditional pilgrimage of the replica image of Santo Domingo de Guzmán known as “El Mocito” and determined that until the end of July -when Managua’s patron saint festivities begin in honor to the Patron Saint – will have permission to carry out a “special tour”.
“We will be reorganizing this program for the months of July and August, the date on which we will be making a special tour, as we were informed by the same institution of public order,” the parish said through a statement on its social networks.
The tour of “El Mocito” would take place in eight communities that belong to the parish where the Patron Saint rests. As reported by the Church and the Parish Committee, 184 families would visit the replica image.
The first visit was made on Sunday afternoon in the La Hoyada community, where the parishioners prayed the rosary and participated in a Eucharist and fellowship. However, on Monday they could no longer make the pilgrimage to the communities: El Progreso, San Antonio Sur, Santo Domingo, Membreño, San Isidro, Morales Picado and Cruz del Paraíso.
Parishioners upset over cancellation
Faced with the prohibition by the National Police, the parish invited the members to pray the rosary, “let us make ‘Minguito’ an altar in each home and a ‘domestic church’ in our homes where the name of the Lord is glorified fraternally and Our Patron Saint Santo Domingo de Guzmán be honored with fervor and devotion”, requested the parish.
However, the parishioners were upset by the interference of the National Police. “Why does the Police have to guide and decide when and how religious activities should be carried out. That has been and must continue to be a faculty of the Church through the parishes”, questioned a parishioner.
Another parishioner commented: “don’t take it out in August, let them try to take out their procession themselves; because when those from the Mayor’s Office wanted to appear normal in the face of the pandemic they wanted it to come out and now they live conveniently prohibiting processions ”.
In recent years, the Managua Mayor’s Office has tried to appropriate the patron saint festivities in honor of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. In 2020 and 2021 when the Church decided not to carry out the traditional procession of the Patron Saint due to the covid-19 pandemic, the commune held its own celebration. The same has happened against festivities in other departments.
Processions suspended in masses from 2022
The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo openly launched a wave of repression against the Catholic Church since 2022. In October of that year, the dictator accused her of not practicing democracy, of being a “dictatorship” and a “perfect tyranny”. ” and for having used “his bishops in Nicaragua to carry out a coup d’état” against his Government in the framework of the demonstrations that broke out in April 2018 and that his regime brutally repressed, leaving more than 350 dead.
During the first two weeks of 2023the dictatorship has prohibited at least six processions. He has also convicted and sentenced seven religious for the same crimes of conspiracy and false news. Two priests were sentenced in 2022, while the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez awaits trial.
The persecution has also led to the exile of more than a dozen priests, mainly from Matagalpa. The tensions have caused a group of 11 foreign seminarians who were ordained priests in the Archdiocese of Managua at the end of January to ask the Church authorities to allow them to return to their countries of origin.
The Catholic Church, led by Pope Francis, has decided to maintain a position of silence and prayer in the face of the repression and persecution of the regime. In September 2022, the pontiff assured that he is aware of the situation in Nicaragua and that the Vatican has spoken with the government of Daniel Ortega. “There are things that are not understood, that are not assimilated, but you must never stop the dialogue,” said the pope.
