Relations between the government of Daniel Ortega and the Catholic Church are experiencing moments of great tension, marked by the expulsion and imprisonment of priests. In March Ortega ordered the severance of diplomatic relations with the Vatican due to statements by Pope Francis
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (Oacnudh) urged this Thursday, April 6, the regime of Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua, not to violate the religious freedom of Nicaraguans with the prohibition of holding processions for the Easter week.
“Nicaragua: We call on the State to allow the celebration of religious processions: its general prohibition violates religious freedom, which requires that all people be able to exercise it individually and collectively, both in private and in the public sphere,” the organization wrote in its account. from Twitter»
It is estimated that more than 30 processions have been canceled so far this year in Nicaragua and at least one foreign priest has been expelled from that country and several citizens have been persecuted by the police for trying to celebrate religious activities, which have been prohibited in the Central American nation.
The police, for example, also prohibited the Stations of the Cross during Lent, citing “security reasons.” The order was reinforced from Palm Saturday.
This is happening now in Nicaragua. The police persecute citizens for celebrating Easter. Several people have already been kidnapped, including a journalist who reported on where the processions were to be held. The world must know. pic.twitter.com/aKJZnoVWgK
— Agustín Antonetti (@agusantonetti) April 6, 2023
The relations of the Government of Daniel Ortega and the Catholic Church are experiencing moments of great tension, marked by the expulsion and imprisonment of priests, such as the case of the sentence to more than 26 years of arrest for Bishop Rolando Álvarez for “treason against the country » and the stripping of their nationality.
In February Ortega accused the Church of being undemocratic for not allowing Catholics to elect the Pope, cardinals, bishops and priests by direct vote and described it as a “mafia.”
*Read also: The Vatican representative in Nicaragua leaves the country and moves to Costa Rica
A month later, the Government of Nicaragua ordered the rupture of diplomatic relations with the Vatican due to the forceful statements of Pope Francis in an interview granted to the portal infobae, in which he described the Sandinista regime as “rude” and “Hitlerian.” The religious affirmed that there is an “imbalance” in the Nicaraguan president.
In fact, the representative of the Ortega government before the Holy See “verbally communicated” the break in relations in the Vatican Secretariat of State.
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