This December 31, 2023 Several media outlets reported the arrest of Father Gustavo Sandino, parish priest of Our Lady of Sorrows, after Sunday mass celebrated in Santa María de Pastasma, in the diocese of Jinotega, Nicaragua.
'Vatican News' reported that exiled lawyer Martha Patricia Molina confirmed the arrest to local media.
This arrest adds to a crisis that Nicaraguan religious have been denouncing for some time.
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According to 'Vatican News', in Managua, for his part, Father Fernando Téllez Báez, parish priest of Our Lady of the Americas, was kidnapped in the early hours of December 31, and Father Jader Hernández, parish priest of the Mother of the Divine Shepherd , on the night of December 30.
Thus, from that religious milieu they affirm that “In recent days at least 14 priests have been kidnappedthe two seminarians Alester Sáenz and Tony Palacio and the bishop of Siuna, Monsignor Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, who was arrested after praying for Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of the diocese of Estelí, sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment without due process”.
Ortega police kidnap Father José Gustavo Sandino, parish priest of the Nuestra Señora de los Dolores Church in Santa María de Pantasma Jinotega pic.twitter.com/YFzG2jvfl6
— Denis Alaniz (@DenisAlaniz2) December 31, 2023
Pope Francis' statements on the subject
After the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, the pope said this Monday that he continues “with deep concern what is happening in Nicaragua, where bishops and priests have been deprived of their freedom.”
“I express to them, to their families and to the entire Church of the country my closeness in prayer,” said the 87-year-old Jesuit pontiff.
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Pope Francis asked for the priests of Nicaragua.
“I also invite all of you present here and all the People of God to insistent prayer, while I hope that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome difficulties. Let us pray today for Nicaragua,” he added.
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Neither Daniel Ortega's government nor the police have commented on the reports of arrests. The government portal 'El 19 Digital' instead highlighted on Monday a massive New Year's Eve vigil of thousands of evangelicals, in the southeast of Managua with the support of the police and the capital's mayor's office.
As highlighted by the 'AFP' agency, the arrests occur in full tension between the Ortega government and the Catholic Church, whose relationship deteriorated during the anti-government protests of 2018, which left more than 300 dead, hundreds of opponents detained and thousands of exiles.
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Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, accused the Church of supporting the protests, which they considered an attempted coup d'état sponsored by Washington.
Diplomatic relations between Managua and the Vatican have been on the verge of breaking down after the Pope in March 2023 called Ortega's government a “rude dictatorship.”
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*With information from AFP.
ALEJANDRA OSPINA CORDERO
DIGITAL SCOPE EDITORIAL
TIME
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