Pope Francis called this Sunday for an “open and sincere” dialogue to resolve the confrontation between the Church and the government in Nicaragua, after the arrest of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Mons. Rolando Alvarez, one of the main critics of President Daniel Ortega.
In recent months, Nicaraguan authorities have arrested priests and other religious have gone into exile.
Francis, who did not mention the bishop’s arrest, said he was following the situation in Nicaragua “with concern and pain” and asked for prayers for the country.
“I want to express my conviction and my wish that through an open and sincere dialogue the foundations for a respectful and peaceful coexistence can be found,” Francis said.
Álvarez was arrested last Friday during a raid in Matagalpa and placed under house arrest in the capital, Managua.
The bishop had been confined for two weeks to a church house in Matagalpa along with five priests, a seminarian and a cameraman from a religious television channel.
Nicaraguan authorities arrest a Catholic bishop critical of the Ortega government
Police said the priests, the seminarian and the cameraman were taken to a prison in Managua.
The relationship between the Catholic Church and the Ortega government has been very tense since a harsh crackdown on protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between the government and protesters.
The Church has called for justice for more than 360 people killed during the riots. Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio Báez, also a critic of the government, went into exile in 2019.
Earlier this month, police shut down seven radio stations linked to Álvarez and said they were investigating him for alleged conspiracy.
