2024-01-15 07:57:27
In addition to the Bishop of Matagalpa, who had been imprisoned since 2022, the Bishop of Siuna, Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, two seminarians and 15 other priests were also released. The Nicaraguan government had confirmed this.
Since December 20, at least 14 priests, two seminarians and the Bishop of Siuna, Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, have been arrested in Nicaragua. In its …
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatikanstadt
The release of the 19 representatives of the Catholic Church was announced by local media on Sunday, January 14th and later confirmed by the government in Managua. All but one who remains in Venezuela have arrived in Rome in the last few hours and have been received by the Holy See.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, was sentenced to 26 years in prison in an internationally criticized trial; He had been in prison since February of last year following being under house arrest since August 2022. Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, however, was arrested in December last year.
The Pope’s constant concern
During the Angelus prayer on January 1st, the Pope once once more recalled the situation of the bishops and priests “deprived of their freedom” in the Central American country and assured his “closeness in prayer”. He took this opportunity to call on the people of God to pray for Nicaragua, hoping “that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome the difficulties”.
12 Nicaraguan priests were released from prison in October last year. The Holy See had agreed to accept them. Since their arrival in Rome they have been housed in diocesan facilities.
(vatican news)
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