The highest representative of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, during his traditional speech to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, in Rome, said he was concerned about the measures that the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo continues to adopt against people and religious institutions. in Nicaragua.
«Finally I think of Nicaragua, where the Holy See is always ready for a respectful and constructive dialogue. “I follow with concern the measures adopted with respect to people and institutions of the Church,” said the Pontiff.
The pontiff’s statements occur after a year in which the Sandinista regime intensified its attacks against the Catholic Church of Nicaragua, expelling leaders such as Monsignor Carlos Herrera, bishop of the Diocese of Jinotega and president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN), to Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, and Monsignor Isidoro Mora, bishop of the Diocese of Siuna.
Advocate for religious freedom in Nicaragua
Francisco, in the face of the systematic persecution of the Ortega dictatorship of those who profess the Catholic faith in Nicaragua, also said he “hopes” that in the country “religious freedom and other fundamental rights are adequately guaranteed to all.”
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“Indeed, there is no true peace if religious freedom is not also guaranteed, which implies respect for the conscience of individuals and the possibility of publicly manifesting one’s faith and belonging to a community,” highlighted the representative of the Church from the Vatican.
The report “Nicaragua: A persecuted Church?”, prepared from exile by lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, in its sixth update last December, details the attacks against the religious institution since 2018, when the Ortega-Murillo regime began his offensive against the Catholic clergy, which he accused of supporting an alleged coup d’état, in retaliation for their support for protesters demanding freedom, justice and democracy.
The document details that between 2018 and 2024, the Sandinista regime perpetrated 971 attacks against the Catholic Church. Among these, 348 acts of repression against religious were registered; 244 attacks, sieges and impediments against temples and religious buildings; 101 thefts and desecrations; 97 acts of repression against lay people; 88 pints and hate messages; 74 closures of non-profit organizations, media, projects and social works; and 19 asset confiscations.
