Pope Francis did not pronounce on the arrest of the bishop in Nicaragua. (AFP)
The ruthless persecution of the Nicaraguan Church by the regime led by Daniel Ortega and his powerful wife, Rosario Murillo, places Pope Francis in an increasingly uncomfortable position before public opinion for not having publicly denounced the serious abuses.
Or, to put it more directly, more and more criticisms are being received for his silence, along with organizations and personalities They demand a clear and firm condemnation.
The 26 former heads of state and government who make up the group called the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas (IDEA), including Mauricio Macri, joined this Thursday.
Far from appeasing, the persecution continues to worsen and complicate the pontiff even more.
The violent arrest in the early hours of this Friday of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Alvarezfive priests, three seminarians and two lay people after being held in the local bishopric for 17 days, surrounded by police forces, was the latest in a saga that promises to continue.
A saga that began in 2018, during the protests for a reform of the health and pension system that were fiercely repressed and caused numerous deaths. The Church not only denounced the repression, but also hosted the protesters in its churches.
Amidst the attacks on temples in 2019, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, José Baezsevere critic of the regime, at the request of the Pope, he initially settled in Rome (today he lives in the United States).
While the Apostolic Nuncio to the country (the papal ambassador), Waldemar Somertag was virtually expelled in March.
A few days ago, around 100 humanitarian NGOs and charity groups were also kicked out for complying with the rules against crimes such as money laundering.
Among them were the Sisters of Mother Teresa. While the masses inside the temples and the processions were forbidden.
Francis’ criticism led the secretary of the Vatican Council for Latin America, the Mexican Rodrigo Guerra, to go and tell the press that “A papal silence does not mean inactivity or lack of decisionno, none of this: it means that you are working on other levels ».
“When the Holy Father deems it appropriate, of course, he will make an intervention”, he said, and added: “I would not be surprised if after the imprisonment of Mons. Alvarez, maybe on Sunday (when he recites the Angelus) he will give us some first comments. But the Holy See mainly works on discreet diplomacy ».
Guerra questioned the former presidents who are asking for a statement from the Pope. “They believe – he said – that politics is done mainly through the word and that if there is no public declaration, it is that the Holy See is abandoning the Nicaraguan bishops or he is becoming an accomplice of the dictatorship ”.
At the same time, he warned that “a statement glorified in these contexts can easily lead to undesirable consequences.” Between them, the expulsion of 400 foreign religious who must renew their residence monthly.
Beyond the discreet passages to which Guerra alludes, the Vatican has preferred for now that the condemnation come from the Episcopates of Latin America, jointly through the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) or individually, as they are doing.
The Argentine Church joined this Friday with a public letter to the Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenesin which it expresses the concern of the Argentine bishops and argues that the Church in Nicaragua fulfills its mission “without restrictions”.
For now, the strategy of discreet diplomacy is not working. And the cost for the image of the Pope is very high.
Serge Rubin
Source: Clarin
