Pope Francis expressed serious concern on Monday over the crackdown on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. As per Vatican News, Nicaraguan authorities have arrested at least 14 priests, alongside a bishop and two seminarians in the past week.
The Vatican News also reported the 26-year sentence imposed on Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos for conspiracy, spreading false news, obstructing justice, and insulting authorities. Bishop Álvarez was arrested following his criticism of the Nicaraguan government’s closure of five Catholic radio stations. Subsequent to the imprisonment of Bishop Álvarez, another religious leader, Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, was arrested on December 20 after publicly praying for Bishop Álvarez’s release. The Nicaraguan media outlet, Confidencial, reported the detainment of two senior priests, Carlos Aviles and Hector Treminio, both similarly involved in public prayer for Bishop Álvarez.
Jim McGovern, the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts and co-chairperson of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the arrested priests.
In reference to the Nicaraguan government’s recent actions, it allegedly cancelled the Jesuit religious community’s legal status and confiscated its property under the stated justification that the community had failed to report its financial statements during the fiscal periods between 2020 and 2022. This move, deemed as an attempt to obstruct the operation of the Catholic Church, occurred in August.
Violence against the Roman Catholic clergy in Nicaragua has been ongoing since 2018, in the wake of the Ortega government’s attempts to suppress social protests advocating for social security system reforms. The Catholic Church in Nicaragua fell into the crosshairs after it engaged in the National Dialogue process to facilitate negotiations. Within the 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Nicaragua, the U.S. Department of State identified a series of anti-Catholic incidents which included death threats, theft of Catholic religious items, and unauthorized entries into Catholic churches. Notwithstanding these actions, the Nicaraguan Constitution expressly acknowledges citizens’ right to freedom of conscience and thought under Article 29, and prohibits religious discrimination under Article 27.