WASHINGTON (CNS): Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando José Álvarez of Diocese of Matagalpa, who has been detained since August 4, appeared in a video a week into his de facto house arrest by government authorities, saying that he and the companions who are with him have hearts full of forgiveness and love.
The August 11 video, taken inside a chapel of the church building where the group is being detained, is part homily, part update on the spirits of the priests and lay Catholics with the bishop. Police in riot gear have prevented everyone from leaving the building.
Some worry about whether food or medicine has been allowed in.
Their detention came after government officials shut down radio stations under the auspices of the diocese in northern Nicaragua.
The bishop has criticised the government over its repression of the populace. The government has accused the bishop of “organising violent groups” and encouraging them “to carry out acts of hate against the population.”
In the video, Bishop Álvarez mentions the day’s dospel, which “invites us to forgive up to 70 times seven,” he said, in a likely reference to the group’s captors and the situation they find themselves in.
Our hearts are full of forgiveness. That’s why we’re at peace. Our hearts are full of the mercy of God, and so we’re at peace. As I said at the beginning of the celebration, we are at rest in the hands of the Lord
Bishop Álvarez
“We were talking among ourselves, here in the curia, precisely about the state of our hearts … we want to tell you, brothers and sisters, that our hearts are full of love, and we’re at peace. Our hearts are full of forgiveness. That’s why we’re at peace. Our hearts are full of the mercy of God, and so we’re at peace. As I said at the beginning of the celebration, we are at rest in the hands of the Lord.”
The group’s plight has caught the attention of human rights activist Bianca Jagger, a Catholic and native of Nicaragua.
On August 11, she said she was making an urgent plea to Catholic leaders, particularly episcopal conferences worldwide: “Do not abandon Bishop Álvarez.”
On August 12, Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua, who now lives in Miami after being forced to leave the country following death threats in 2019, condemned the government’s actions via Twitter, calling the detention a “kidnapping.”
Bishop Báez wrote, “I am with him [in spirit] with my love and prayers. He and those with him must be released!”
Meanwhile, the crackdown on Catholics continues in Nicaragua. In a letter, the Archdiocese of Managua said national police authorities suspended a procession and other religious event surrounding the feast of the Assumption, citing safety issues.
Instead, the archdiocese called for fasting and participation in prayer, the rosary, and Mass at the Cathedral of Managua on August 13 with Leopoldo Cardinal Brenes.
The persecution of Catholic priests in Nicaragua has intensified as the regime of the president, Daniel Ortega, portrays the Church as a political enemy. Vice president, Rosario Murillo, Ortega’s wife, has accused bishops of promoting “terrorist acts.”
The repression has halted charitable and educational projects, and even Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity has been expelled from the country. Government actions have hindered freedom of worship and interrupted processions and celebrations of the Eucharist.
