Pope Francis has emphasized his bond with the citizens of Nicaragua. With pain and concern he follows the situation of the people and institutions there, said the head of the church during the midday prayer on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. He hopes that through an open and honest dialogue, ways for a peaceful and respectful coexistence can be found.
Police forces in Nicaragua stormed the Matagalpa Bishop’s House on Friday and arrested the anti-government diocesan Bishop Rolando Álvarez and seven other people. He was later placed under house arrest in the capital, Managua, according to police. Police officers had previously surrounded the bishop’s house for more than two weeks.
The 55-year-old bishop is accused by the authorities of being in contact with “violent groups” who “want to carry out hate crimes against the population” in order to “destabilize the state of Nicaragua and attack constitutional bodies,” police said on March 5 announced August. Álvarez had previously protested publicly against the closure of several Catholic radio stations in his Central American homeland.
“Deafening Silence”
The arrest of the bishop means a further escalation in the conflict between church and state in Nicaragua. For years, numerous church representatives have criticized the human rights violations by the Sandinista government. In turn, they reacted with drastic measures, repeatedly having churches relocated and clergymen and believers intimidated.
The Italian bishops also declared their solidarity with the citizens of Nicaragua on Saturday evening. The incidents are “particularly worrying”. They are not only aimed at Christians “who are prevented from lawfully practicing their faith”. They also came at a time “when the most basic human rights seem to be under serious threat,” according to a message from the President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. The bishops also called on political decision-makers to “guarantee freedom of religion and expression not only for members of the Catholic Church, but for all citizens”.
More than 25 former heads of state and government from Latin America and Spain recently criticized the Pope’s silence and wrote a letter asking Francis to comment on the situation in Nicaragua. The Secretary General of the independent Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights, Álvaro Leiva, wrote in a letter to the Pope: “There are few things as deafening as silence.”