The Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Alvarez, is under house arrest and violence towards bishops and priests by armed teams aligned with the Nicaraguan government influences the local Catholic Church.
C. Rubini CTC, Vatican Information
The Church of Nicaragua observed the 11th of August as a Working day of Prayer and Adoration of Divine Mercy in parishes throughout the Latin American state. The ritual is portion of the Nationwide Marian Congress, which will take area concerning August 7-15. The closure of 6 Catholic radio stations and the tension placed by the governing administration on the Bishop of Matagalpa carry on to induce difficulties for the area church.
The bishop spoke openly
The fate of Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who has been focused by the administration of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, stays unsure. The bishop was arrested in his residence right after protesting that the governing administration had shut Catholic radio stations in the state. A photo displaying Bishop Alvarez on his knees begging for mercy as a group of armed police officers surrounded him went viral all over the globe.
On August 4, Bishop Alvarez, 6 priests and six lay Catholics ended up banned from celebrating the Eucharist and locked inside the parish home. Authorities accuse Bishop Alvarez of employing the media and social networks to commit violence versus people and destabilize the region.
Reaction to Arrest
Quite a few human legal rights corporations and church-related associations condemned the arrest. At the same time, bishops and other communities expressed that they are close to Bishop Alvarez. The Council of Bishops of Latin America (CELAM) expressed solidarity and closeness with the Church of Nicaragua. He famous that the Church proclaims the “Gospel of Peace” and that it is generally completely ready to cooperate with national and global authorities in this light.
Conflict between church and state
The Catholic Church continues to experience many attacks and makes an attempt to silence church leaders, including the persecution of bishops and monks. Considering that the arrest of Bishop Alvarez on August 4, the Nicaraguan governing administration has been silencing Catholic voices in the region by shutting down a further Catholic radio station and approximately 100 NGOs. The Nicaraguan governing administration is accused of attempting to silence church associates, of besieging church buildings and of striving to intimidate clergymen and believers.
