By Anugrah KumarChristian Mail Contributor Saturday, August 10, 2024

Seven Nicaraguan priests who have been arrested in recent weeks have been exiled to Rome amid a major crackdown on the Catholic Church by the administration of President Daniel Ortega.

The priests were among the religious leaders detained by National Police in the Diocese of Matagalpa, which is led by outspoken regime critic Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who was exiled earlier this year as he faced a 26-year prison sentence.

The seven priests reportedly left Nicaragua on Wednesday and arrived at the Vatican on Thursday, according to Vatican Newswhich notes that the Nicaraguan government has exiled at least five different groups of priests since October 2022.

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The arrested priests were kept under house arrest and held at the National Inter-Diocese Seminary of Our Lady of Fátima before their expulsion.

Those expelled include two senior diocese leaders, Fathers René Vega Matamoros and Edgard Sacasa, who assumed leadership of the Diocese of Matagalpa after the bishop was exiled. They were arrested on August 1.

Others include Father Marlon Velázquez, Father Jairo Pravia and Vicar Víctor Godoy of the Immaculate Conception of María de Sebáco Church, Franciscan Friar Silvio José Romero and Father Harvin Tórrez, the rector of the Matagalpa seminary and parish priest of Santa María de Guadalupe Church in Matagalpa who was arrested on Monday.

The expulsions are part of a broader campaign by the Ortega regime, which has intensified its grip on dissenting voices within the Catholic Church by detaining and exiling priests, often without due process.

The ruling regime of the far-left Sandinista National Liberation Front has been particularly aggressive, with police seizing clergy directly from their parish residences, often holding them incommunicado before forcing them into exile.

In related events, priest Frutos Valle, aged 80, was arrested on July 27 but later released and returned to his parish in Estelí, according to Catholic Review.

The crackdown extended over several days at the beginning of August, with additional arrests of religious leaders from Matagalpo. The series of arrests is a result of the ongoing tensions between the Nicaraguan government and the Roman Catholic Church, where the government's actions have been widely condemned internationally.

Mervyn Thomas, founding president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, called these arrests unjust, calling on the international community to hold Ortega's regime accountable for its actions, which he described as a violation of freedom of religion or belief.

Despite the exile of priests and other religious figures, many, such as Fr. Raúl Villegas and Friar Ramón Morras, remain unexplained, contributing to the growing concern about the safety and freedom of religious leaders in Nicaragua.

The Pontifical Missionary Societies of the United States have issued appeals for prayers for the safety and strength of the Nicaraguan clergy, saying that the most recent wave of arrests continues to demoralize the diocese.

“In these difficult times, it is important for us to unite in prayer for the Church in Nicaragua,” reads the appeal. “Let us pray for the safety and strength of the priests, deacons, and all members of the clergy who courageously uphold their faith in the midst of persecution. Our prayers can offer them comfort and support, reminding them that they are not alone in his struggle.”

Álvarez and more than a dozen other imprisoned priests were released from detention and exiled in January as part of negotiations with the Vatican. The bishop, a critic of the government's treatment of the Roman Catholic Church, was sentenced in February 2023 to 26 years in prison after being convicted of “undermining national integrity.”

The Vatican was forced to close its nunciature in Managua in March 2023. In recent years, more than 200 religious figures either fled or were forced to leave the country, the French newspaper reported. La Croix reports, citing the human rights collective Nicaragua Nunca Mas.

Watchdog organization Open Doors highlighted the increasing persecution of Christians in Nicaragua, especially since the anti-regime protests of 2018.

The government's crackdown included arrests of Christian leaders, seizure of Christian property and closures of Christian schools, television stations and charities. Legal amendments branded church leaders as terrorists, with the government seeking to control church finances.

U.S. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Alabama Republicans Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville were outspoken in their support for the imprisoned priests, prompting the Bidens administration to implement strong, targeted sanctions against the Nicaraguan government.

Similarly, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., led a bipartisan group of 58 members of Congress in all.etter to the Nicaraguan ambassadorexpressing deep concerns about these violations of religious freedom.

The US State Department identifies Nicaragua as a “Country of Special Concern” for engaging in egregious violations of religious freedom. In its annual international religious freedom a reportthe State Department notes that government repressions have also affected evangelists in Nicaragua.