Pope Francis ‘concerned’ after Nicaraguan bishop critical of regime detained

Pope Francis said on Sunday he was “concerned” by rising tensions between the state and the Catholic church in Nicaragua, two days after bishop and regime critic Rolando Alvarez was detained.

Francis said he was following “closely with concern and sorrow” the situation in Nicaragua, amid a worsening standoff between the Church and a government accused of increasing authoritarianism.

“I would like to express my conviction and hope that through open and sincere dialogue, the basis for respectful and peaceful coexistence can still be found,” the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said after the Angelus prayer.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been under increasing government pressure since opposition protests in 2018 were met with repression that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

President Daniel Ortega maintains the protests were part of a Washington-backed opposition plot to unseat him, and accuses bishops of complicity.

The Vatican has said Nicaragua expelled its ambassador to the country in March.

Alvarez was detained on Friday for “destabilizing and provocative” activities aimed at destabilizing the Central American country.

His detention followed two weeks under police siege at his official residence in Matagalpa, central Nicaragua, after he criticized the closure of Church radio stations and news channels.

Supporters said Alvarez was taken “with violence” to an unknown location, prompting the United Nations and Organization of American States (OAS) to express concern.

Eight others, including five priests, who had been holed up with Alvarez were taken to Managua with him, according to the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM), and were all under investigation.

Later, the church said Alvarez was being held at his “family home” where Cardinal Lepoldo Brenes was allowed to visit him.

Brenes reported the bishop’s “physical condition has deteriorated” but his “spirit is strong,” the archdiocese of Managua said in a statement.

The other eight were being held at El Chipote prison, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh), which is a notorious lockup for government critics.

Last week, the Cenidh said another Nicaraguan priest, Oscar Benavidez, was “removed from his vehicle and taken by patrol car to an unknown destination.”

According to the European Union, Nicaragua has more than 180 “political prisoners.”

In the first half of 2022, the bloc says, Nicaraguan authorities closed down over 1,200 civil society organizations.

The relationship between the Catholic Church and the government has been severely strained since a harsh crackdown on protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between the government and protesters.

The Church has called for justice for more than 360 people who died during the unrest.

Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio Baez, also a critic of the government,went into exile in 2019.

This past March, the Vatican protested to Nicaragua over the effective expulsion of its ambassador, saying the unilateral action was unjustified and incomprehensible.

Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, who had been critical of Nicaragua’s slide away from democracy, had to leave the country
suddenly after the government withdrew its approval of the envoy.

Earlier this month, police shut down seven radio stations linked to Alvarez and said they were investigating him for alleged conspiracy.