Pope Francis on Monday showed concern when discussing the crackdown of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. Official news outlet Vatican News quoted that as of Monday, Nicaraguan authorities have arrested at least 14 priests, one bishop and two seminarians over the past week.
The Vatican News also reported the 26-year sentence of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos on charges of conspiracy, spreading fake news, obstructing justice and insulting authorities. Bishop Álvarez was arrested for criticising the closure of five Catholic radio stations by the Nicaraguan government. After Bishop Álvarez was jailed, Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega was also arrested on December 20 for his public prayer for Bishop Álvarez. Last Friday, local media outlet Confidencial also reported the detainment of two high-ranking priests, Carlos Aviles and Hector Treminio, for publicly offering prayer to Bishop Álvarez.
US Representative for Massachusetts and co-chairperson of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Jim McGovern called for the immediate release of the priests without conditions.
Relatedly, the Nicaraguan government also cancelled the Jesuit religious community’s legal status to obstruct the operation of the Catholic Church in August. Following the cancellation of legal status, the Nicaraguan government further confiscated the community’s property by reason of failure to report its financial statements during the fiscal periods between 2020 and 2022.
Violence against Roman Catholic clergy has taken place since 2018 when the Ortega government tried to quell the social protests advocating for a social security system reform. The Catholic Church in Nicaragua became a target since its engagement in the National Dialogue process to facilitate negotiations. In the 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Nicaragua, the US Department of State observed a series of anti-Catholic activities including death threats, theft of Catholic religious items and unlawful entry into Catholic churches. Additionally, the Nicaraguan Constitution expressly protects its citizens’ right to freedom of conscience and thought under Article 29 and prohibits discrimination based on religion under Article 27.
