Rodrigo Guerra, on the attacks on the Church in Nicaragua: “Sandinismo fell into the manipulation of religious sensibility”

On August 19, the Daniel Ortega regime in Nicaragua illegally detained the bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, and a group of priests and laity who were with him. The Academy of Catholic Leaders issued a manifesto –supported by more than 1,000 personalities from Latin America and Spain– in which they asked the Nicaraguan government to cease its persecution of the Catholic Church.

Rodrigo Guerra, member of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Catholic Leaders, conveys in an interview the perception that, from the institution, they have about the serious situation in the Latin American country.

– What is the current situation of Catholics in Nicaragua?

– Both Catholics and the rest of the population in Nicaragua live in a difficult situation of restricted freedoms and mistrust of the government sector. The situation of the Catholic Church is framed in a more generalized process of decomposition that has led to various media outlets critical of the Government or of religious inspiration being closed down and many of the opposition leaders being imprisoned.

-Why does the Government of Daniel Ortega persecute the Catholic Church, and specifically Bishop Rolando Álvarez?

-The accusations against Bishop Rolando Álvarez are for, supposedly, organizing violent groups in order to destabilize the State. The rest of the country’s bishops and various pastoral agents are under constant surveillance. The vice president has spoken, without pointing to anyone in particular, that “sins against spirituality” have been committed. Subsequently, she has described the arrest of Bishop Álvarez as “necessary.”

-What do you think are the precedents for the current situation in the country?

-The background of the current situation in Nicaragua is long and complex. Since the triumph of Sandinismo in 1979, some radicalized sectors of the Church have joined the support of the new government. Cardinal Obando y Bravo always mediated, seeking relaxation and peace, and helped to release political prisoners. However, Sandinismo fell into the temptation of manipulating religious sensibilities. This was particularly visible in the mass that Saint John Paul II presided over in Managua in 1983. In the middle of the liturgical celebration and with an altar with revolutionary images, some agitators launched slogans favorable to Sandinismo that visibly annoyed the Pope for being disrespectful of the saint. mass. In 1990 Sandinismo lost the elections. When Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2006, the tensions with the Church increased. In 2018, the Church defended those who peacefully protested a reform of the social security law. This was ideologically interpreted as complicity with the opposition. Subsequently, the government leadership would publicly accuse various priests of terrorism and coup plotting. More recently, in July 2018, the Divina Misericordia temple in Managua was attacked. Later, Bishop Silvio Báez left the country in 2019. In July 2020, an ancient Christ was set on fire in the Managua cathedral. And in 2022 we have the expulsion of Nuncio Sommertag and the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

-Pope Francis spoke publicly this Sunday about the persecution in Nicaragua, what do you think of his position? To what extent can the Holy Father influence the release of the detained bishop?

-Pope Francis through his words has shown us last Sunday the enormous concern he has for the Nicaraguan people. His “silence” for several days is in no way an omission. In such a delicate situation, it is necessary to understand that not everything is achieved with declarations, but rather by creating conditions to recover the possibility of sincere dialogue and pacification. Much of the work of the Church is done quietly and not under the spotlight of the big media. The Pope’s mission is eminently evangelical and, therefore, should not be interpreted in conventional political terms.

The speed to rebuild broken bridges is not the one that marks Twitter but the one that is slowly built with patience. Pope Francis is not afraid of being criticized if this makes it easier not to put the people at risk. He is the first convinced that everything must be done to save the lives of real people. With this conviction, the Church will continue radically announcing her desire for encounter and dialogue, always favoring peaceful means. The logic of the gospel is not confrontation but the joyous announcement of the comprehensive freedom that Jesus Christ has come to bring, beyond any ideology. The eventual release of Bishop Álvarez will have to be seen in this broad context.

Rodrigo Guerra, on the attacks on the Church in Nicaragua: “Sandinismo fell into the manipulation of religious sensibility”