2024-01-01 13:14:24
The parish priest of the Diocese of Jinotega is the latest in a long line of churchmen recently arrested in the Central American country. At his year-end Mass, the Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal José Brenes Solórzano, expressed his solidarity with the families and communities of those affected.
Pope Francis criticized the arrests of priests and bishops in Nicaragua during the Angelus prayer on this World Day of Peace. He said he was following events with concern…
According to local sources, Father Gustavo Sandino was arrested on December 31 following Sunday mass in Santa María de Pastasma, in the Diocese of Jinotega.
The same fate has befallen at least 14 priests, two seminarians and the Bishop of Siuna, Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, in recent days.
The latter was arrested following praying for the Bishop of Matagalpa and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison without due process.
At the end of the year Mass, the Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes Solórzano, expressed his solidarity “with the families and communities who miss their priests at this time” and invited everyone to remain united in prayer.
As lawyer Martha Patricia Molina announced in a press conference, mass celebrations at the end of the year were canceled and believers were asked to go home. It is not known whether the priests of the affected parishes have been arrested. So far, neither the government nor the police have confirmed or denied the detention of the clergy.
United Nations is sounding the alarm
Nicaragua is “increasingly moving away” from the rule of law with repeated cases of arbitrary arrests of members of the Catholic Church, activists and journalists, officials at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
(vaticannews – skr)
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