«I keep calling you brother because, despite the wickedness and cruelty of some of your acts (by Daniel Ortega), I think you are still better than your behavior. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has just ordered the release of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, for reasons of mere humanity and health. If you disregard that order, much more is disavowed worldwide than is already the case.»wrote the Spanish theologian in the Catholic news portal Religión Digital.
The academic, based in Sant Cugat del Valles (Catalonia) recalls in the open letter that the desire to crush any dissident voice is always ferment for a totalitarian regime.
Related news: Religious from Catalonia asks Ortega “to reconsider” and release Monsignor Álvarez
«Always a totally individualistic reaction as if the revolution were “me”, socialism was “me”, democracy was “me” or Sandinismo was “me”. In this Catalonia from which I am writing, there is a saying that goes to say: “there are as many hats as there are heads”. And this is not important when it comes to hats, but it is very serious when it comes to the great causes and goals of life: because it is simply the source of all dictatorships.»remarked in the letter the author of «all about my church» and «Another world is possible from Jesus».
“You have little time left”
For the Jesuit priest, behind the totalitarian drift of Daniel Ortega is the fear of becoming an older person accumulating all the political power of Nicaragua around him and calls him to remember the way in which the dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle died.
«I suspect that a factor that may contribute to these mistakes of yours today is what makes us commit so many nonsense: hidden fear. You are already 77 years old, your government cannot last long. And you, with all the power you have now, you can’t stop wondering what can happen next. You know better than I how Somoza died. And at some point you will remember how it has stained and discredited that hopeful and noble Sandinismo of 1979, when it was shouted that “the eyes of the world are on Nicaragua” and it was sung that our people are the owners of its history.»reflects the Spanish theologian.
González Faus in his open letter also asks Ortega to reflect on his government action, so that he does not become another Somoza.
«All this must have crossed your mind at some point: humanity has already had enough Nerones, enough Caligulas and enough Somozas for you to just aspire to be one more on that list. The spontaneous reaction then is to quickly reject it. But that does not eliminate these truths. And they will return again and again, increasing their unconscious or unacknowledged fear. I just want to tell you: brother Daniel, you still have time to repent»exhorts the Jesuit priest in his letter.
Monsignor Álvarez, “a symbol”
In his open letter to Ortegaism, theologian José Ignacio González Faus highlights the courage of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, and asks Daniel Ortega to go and apologize to him in prison for the mistreatment he has given the religious leader.
«If you asked me for advice, I would tell you: go see Bishop Rolando; admire his fidelity and courage in deciding not to leave Nicaragua, no matter how much that bothered you (…) Ask him for forgiveness for how badly he has treated you, without forgetting that Rolando is now also a symbol that includes thousands of other victims . And if he forgives you, that will be your best defense.»González Faus recommends in his letter.
The priest also asks Ortega to look at Monsignor Rolando Álvarez as a human being and not as “an ecclesiastic» and asks that he be released following the recommendation of the IACHR before it is too late.
«To facilitate that (liberation of the bishop) try to look at Rolando as a human being and not as an ecclesiastic. I now care little about the criticisms and objections that you may have or raise against the Church (…) The order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights may be an opportunity to facilitate a path that prevents your things from ending in the worst possible way 77 years are many and there is no longer any excuse that the end is very far»expresses the theologian in his open letter.
The priest González Faus warns that if Ortega does not release Bishop Rolando Álvarez, the situation could become complex for his regime.
«All these things end up exploding at some point, as history has shown a thousand times (…) I can only end by expressing my fear: if you ignore these poor (but fraternal) words, I think you will regret it one day. I only ask you to think for a long time, very seriously, about everything I have tried to tell you.»ends the open letter of the Spanish theologian.
In the last two months, various personalities from ecclesial life in Spain have condemned the religious persecution that Ortega has undertaken against Catholics in Nicaragua and in solidarity with Bishop Rolando Álvarez.
The Archbishops of Madrid Carlos Osoro Sierra and José Cobo Cano, the President of the Conference of Religious Men and Women of Spain, Fray Jesús Díaz Sariego and Sr. Lucía Caram have been some of the personalities who have called for the release of the Bishop of Matagalpa, at the who is now joined by the theologian José Ignacio González Faus.
