Pope Francis recalled this Sunday “with concern” the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, sentenced in Nicaragua to 26 years in prison, and called for a “patient exercise of dialogue” in the Latin American country to achieve peace, while asking for solutions to the “political leaders” of the crisis.
“The news coming from Nicaragua has saddened me not a little. And I cannot help but remember here with concern the Bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Roland Álvarez, whom I love so much, sentenced to 26 years in prison,” said the pontiff following pronouncing the Sunday Angelus prayer in the Vatican.
In the last few hours, Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison in Nicaragua on charges of conspiracy, propagation of false news, aggravated obstruction of functions, and contempt of the authorities.
In his message to the faithful gathered in Plaza San Pedro, the Pope also recalled “the people who were deported to the United States”, in reference to the 222 citizens sent by the Government of Nicaragua to the North American country.
“I pray for them and for all those who suffer in that beloved nation,” the Pope later said.
“I ask you for prayer, and we ask the Lord for the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary to open the hearts of political leaders and all citizens to the sincere search for peace that is born of truth, of justice, of freedom and love, which is achieved through the patient exercise of dialogue”, he later emphasized.
Álvarez had been detained by the authorities since August 19, 2022 under house arrest, and since February 9 in the La Modelo prison in Tipitapa, following refusing to board the plane along with other political prisoners who were deported to the United States. Joined.
In 2018, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez had been part of the dialogue commission of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, which sought to mediate between the Government and opponents of the policies exercised in the Nation.
In 2022, the Government of Nicaragua also expelled from the country the Apostolic Nuncio and 18 nuns from the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
In addition, it closed various Catholic media outlets. And on February 8, he removed the citizenship and exiled six priests, while two other priests are still imprisoned.
In the last hours, the president of the Latin American Episcopal Council (Celam), Monsignor Miguel Cabrejos, through an official message, warned regarding the detriment of the rights of the Catholic faithful, and expressed his “solidarity, closeness and prayer with and for the People of God and their shepherds”.
