He declared that Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo “elevated” the regime.suspensionOn the relations between Nicaragua and the Vatican on the same day as the 10th anniversary of Francis’ pontificate. that we live in, as if bringing the communist dictatorship of 1917 or 35’s hitleriana“, said Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina. In a long interview with his country’s digital broadcast, data baseHe also argued that Nicaragua was “a kind of brute dictatorship”. The Pope used an unusual tone when referring to the Nicaraguan president: “With great respect, a imbalance In response, he defended the decision of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando José Álvarez, along with 222 other exiles, to refuse to leave the country for political reasons and go to jail. ” He wanted to testify and refused to accept exile.”
“The news from Nicaragua has saddened me a little and I cannot help but anxiously remember my beloved Bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison, as well as those who were deported to the United States”, Francis on Sunday Angelus on February 12 he said later. Ortega responded angrily weeks later, and the Nicaraguan diocese “a crowd” “does not represent the principles of God or Christ”.
If they didn’t expect the presidential marriage to be anything, it was a much more critical statement of the pope or analogies with other historical experiences like Nazism. The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was published a few hours after the opposition media. Hidden He talked about severing diplomatic ties with the Holy See.
Frankly, Nicaragua hasn’t had an ambassador in the Vatican for almost a year and a half.. In September 2021, Elliette Ortega Sotomayor’s appointment was rescinded. Since Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag was “invited” to leave the country a year ago, the Vatican diplomatic mission in Managua is led by charge d’affaires, Monsignor Mbaye Diouf.
From allies to enemies
Relations between the presidential couple and the Catholic Church have been strained since January. April 2018 social epidemic. While the diocese was a strategic ally of Ortega-Murillo, it began to replace the enemy because of its support for the protests. As the years passed, the rift grew. Closure of church-affiliated stations and establishments, note “stateless” The eight nuns, the banning of processions and ritual acts, and the expulsion of a group of nuns affiliated with the Missionaries of Philanthropy sect, represented the point of no return. Álvarez was immediately convicted. President ” According to Ortega, other bishops in solidarity with Álvarez, “terrorists” and “putschists” who act as “accomplices” to those who try to destabilize the regime.