Pope Francis expressed today their concern and pain for the situation in Nicaragua and called for “an open and sincere dialogue” so that “the basis for a respectful and peaceful coexistence”.
In an appeal at the end of the angelus prayer in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Francis did not make explicit reference to the arrest this Friday of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarezby police officers.
Read here: Nicaraguan Episcopate feels with “deep pain” the arrest of Bishop Álvarez
“I closely follow with concern and pain the situation that has been created in Nicaragua that affects people and institutions, I would like to express my conviction and my hope that through an open and sincere dialogue we can find the basis for a respectful and peaceful coexistence,” said the pope, who until today he had not spoken about the situation in Nicaragua.
The pontiff also asked the Lord that “through the intercession that the Immaculate, as the Virgin is known in Nicaragua, inspire in the hearts of all parties such concrete will”.
Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, both in northern Nicaragua, He was arrested this Friday inside the provincial episcopal palace, along with five priests, two seminarians, and a cameraman.after having been confined for 15 days.
The National Police, led by Francisco Díaz, President Daniel Ortega’s brother-in-law, confirmed that they carried out an operation at dawn in the episcopal see of Matagalpa in which Álvarez and his collaborators were removed against their will, and then transferred to Managua.
The capture of Alvarez, preceded by the arrest of three priestsis the most recent chapter in the tense relations between the Nicaraguan Catholic Church and the Sandinistas led by President Daniel Ortega.
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The same leader has described the Nicaraguan bishops as “terrorists” who acted as mediators of a national dialogue that sought a peaceful solution to the crisis that Nicaragua has been experiencing since April 2018.
