The Nicaraguan government has expelled a dozen Catholic priests, sending them to Rome following “fruitful conversations” with Catholic leadership, including Vatican officials. This move is the latest in a series of actions that critics say are part of an escalating crackdown on the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.
President Daniel Ortega has previously accused Catholic church leaders of attempting to overthrow his government. Judicial authorities have arrested priests and accused some of committing treason, among other crimes.
The Vatican confirmed that it would take in the 12 priests, who had been released from prison in Nicaragua, and that they were due to arrive in Italy later in the day.
An exiled Nicaraguan researcher, Martha Patricia Molina, described the expulsion as a “forced removal” and accused Ortega of seeking to “strangle and disappear” the church. She warned that the government’s actions would continue and possibly lead to more imprisonments.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a prominent critic of Ortega, was sentenced to a 26-year jail term on treason charges earlier this year but was not among the 12 priests sent to Rome. Nicaraguan clergy have reported government surveillance of services and assaults as part of what they say is an intensifying crackdown on priests and church-affiliated institutions.
The government has cited security reasons for some of its actions against the church. In February, more than 200 political prisoners were expelled to the United States, nearly all of them government critics.
Source:
Reuters – “Nicaragua sends Catholic priests to Rome after talks with Vatican”
Published October 19, 2023
🔗 https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/nicaragua-sends-catholic-priests-rome-after-talks-with-vatican-2023-10-19/
