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Leopoldo Brenes with Pope Francis in Rome. LA PRENSA/Courtesy

Series |Challenge for the Vatican: Pope Francis must define the leadership of Nicaraguan Catholics

LA PRENSA presents a new installment in the series of articles that will delve deeply into the dictatorship's persecution of the Catholic Church. The articles will not be published consecutively, but they document for posterity this dark period of our history.

When Pope Francis wished in 2013 for young Catholics to fully participate in the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, he asked them for one thing: «Make a mess.» But after six years of government harassment and persecution, Nicaraguan priests are not asked by the pope to «make a mess» in the face of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s dictatorship; quite the opposite: silence and submissive attitudes.

Nicaraguans, accustomed to a long tradition in which the Catholic Church has consistently spoken out against government abuses, now watch with concern as the Episcopal Conference (CEN) remains silent.

For months, while Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa, and several dozen priests, seminarians, and deacons were at different times in prison, the Episcopal Conference did not speak out for their release, nor even for fair treatment for those who were incarcerated.

Also Read: Serie | Dictadura gana batalla a la Iglesia católica, a la que ha logrado doblegar en Nicaragua

Many do not understand what is happening with the Nicaraguan Church or where it might be heading. Questions about the direction of the Church have increased since Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, turned 75 in March and submitted his resignation to Pope Francis, as required by canon law.

As of now, Cardinal Brenes has not received a response from the Vatican. The pope could either accept his resignation or extend his service as Archbishop simply by not responding.

Knowledgeable individuals consulted on the matter, who agreed to give their opinion on condition of anonymity, leaned towards the idea that the pope should keep Brenes for as long as possible, as his «prudent» character aligns with what the Vatican desires for the behavior of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.

The current policy of the Vatican excludes Álvarez and Báez

But the mere possibility of his resignation being accepted has raised questions about who would be the successor at a time when the Vatican does not want confrontation that jeopardizes the fundamental work of the Church: evangelization.

«Everything is being done according to the will of the Holy See,» said a parishioner from León, knowledgeable about the situation in that diocese.

And if the Church does not wish for priests and bishops to confront the government to avoid further arrests and repression, the candidate to succeed Cardinal Brenes as Archbishop would have to be one of the bishops who have not stood out as belligerent. Amidst the protests, two religious figures raised their voices strongly: Monsignor Silvio Báez, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, and Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa.

But the belligerence of both bishops, especially during the harshest repression, led to their exile and denationalization by the regime, both illegal and unjust measures. The appointment of either of them as Archbishop of Managua would be interpreted by the regime as a new gesture of confrontation.

Sándigo «campaigning?

One figure escapes that obstacle: Monsignor René Sócrates Sándigo, Bishop of the Diocese of León. Sándigo has been showing conciliation with the regime for years and has refused to take actions or make statements against the ruling couple. This has led to accusations of him being a Sandinista. Some observers of the situation have even claimed that Sándigo is «campaigning» for the archbishopric.

René Sándigo, Bishop of the Diocese of León. LA PRENSA / Taken from social media

At the same time, this has allowed Sándigo to be the only bishop authorized by the dictatorship to carry out processions and other religious events outside of churches. If the regime is concerned about priests using the pulpit to criticize it, that concern does not apply to Sándigo.

Also Read: Serie | Ataques, persecución y estrangulamiento económico, los métodos de la dictadura para diezmar a la Iglesia (laprensani.com)

But that creates another obstacle.

The appointment as head of the only archdiocese in the country that is perceived as submissive to the government could cause a deep rejection from the parishioners.

The layman from León says that monsignor Sándigo is a strong-willed man, who was appointed in León to restore order after the mandate of monsignor Bosco Vivas, whom he described as a very good man, from whom some priests took advantage to not follow his guidelines.

«Sándigo was placed here in León to restore order. Let’s be clear about that,» he explained. «The problem Sándigo has is that he didn’t resonate at all with the parishioners here in León, he didn’t resonate.»

The «stain» of Sándigo in Chontales

But one of the most serious criticisms of Sándigo dates back to the time when he was bishop of the Diocese of Chontales. When the protests erupted across the country in April 2018, Sándigo was in Chontales.

That department has a history of rejecting Sandinism and has many members of the Peasant Movement that fought against the execution of the Interoceanic Grand Canal project.

As the protests broke out, farmers from the Nueva Guinea area set up a roadblock on April 23, 2018. However, they quickly realized they would be more effective if they set up the roadblock in San Pedro de Lóvago. At that junction, they would block the roads leading to Juigalpa, Acoyapa, and Santo Tomás, three important centers of agricultural and dairy production. On May 10, they moved to that junction. They would remain there for the next two months.

By mid-July 2018, the so-called «Cleanup Operation» had begun in almost the entire country. Most of the roadblocks in the central zone of the country had been cleared by the police and paramilitaries. The junction of San Pedro de Lóvago was unprotected. There was a lot of nervousness at the roadblock. From about 2,000 farmers, participation dropped to about 500. At night, the farmers hardly slept. Many began to suffer from nervous disorders.

On July 13, they received the news that the regime had arrested Medardo Mairena and Pedro Mena, two founders of the anti-canal movement.

Father Carlos Abea, parish priest of the San Martín church in Nueva Guinea, visited the roadblock on several occasions to watch over his parishioners in that place. In January 2020, Abea confirmed to La Prensa that the farmers at the roadblock asked Bishop Sándigo to accompany them in the convoy of trucks that would return to their community.

«They (the farmers) tried to negotiate for the bishop to come and achieve the demobilization of the roadblock,» Abea told La Prensa. «But Bishop Sándigo from Chontales refused. He said he wouldn’t go.»

The attack in Poza Azul against the farmers

Shortly after leaving San Pedro de Lóvago, a phone call alerted the members of the truck convoy that they were being awaited at the location known as Poza Azul to attack them.

The warning came too late. Almost at the same time, gunshots rang out. To this day, there is no official tally of the number of dead, injured, or missing. The government even denies that there was any massacre.

The attack is documented in the report of the United Nations Group of Experts on Human Rights in Nicaragua: «The withdrawal of the peasants in convoy began in the early hours of July 14. However, a few kilometers from Lóvago, on the road to Santo Tomás, agents of the National Police and members of pro-government armed groups blocked the passage and began to indiscriminately shoot at the convoy with firearms.»

Mairena is saddened by the denial of the truth of the massacre and is upset to think that someone who refused to accompany his people in such a difficult time will end up in such an important position.

Regarding Sándigo, Mairena said, «We didn’t see that support from him, we didn’t see him speak out in favor of the people who were being cowardly massacred, they were being murdered, but we didn’t see him as a Christian being closer to the laity, closer to the people, denouncing what is unjust.»

Mairena: «Is denouncing injustices being confrontational?

Mairena says that both Bishop Rolando Álvarez and Bishop Silvio Báez would be good alternatives for Archbishop of Managua. He says that both have earned the merit of standing by their people and are not afraid to speak out to defend them from crimes and abuses. He says that neither of them is confrontational.

«No bishop, including those who have been exiled, has had a confrontational discourse because bishops do not use that. The only thing they have been is firm in denouncing all the injustices that these people have been committing. So that’s where they see it as a confrontational issue, but in reality, it’s not a confrontation,» affirmed the peasant leader.

«Meaning, if you denounce the bad things they are doing, that is not seeking a confrontational discourse. That is being a very just, very correct person, and that’s what each of the bishops, priests, are called to do, which is to denounce,» Mairena added. «So, in fact, anyone who doesn’t do it, who ignores injustices, what are they doing? Well, I would believe that they are actually lacking a lot as a pastors who care for their sheep.»

But if the pope is guided by the maxim of achieving what is possible rather than what is ideal, a bishop as described by Mairena is not what he is seeking. The layman from León makes it clear, «one of the characteristics of the Church and priests should be equanimity… if they see you as a sympathizer of the government, those who are not Sandinistas will leave, and if you start criticizing, the Sandinista Catholics will leave. What should be sought is that no one leaves, that the Catholic faith grows.»

LA PRENSA presents a new installment in the series of articles that will delve deeply into the dictatorship's persecution of the Catholic Church. The articles will not be published consecutively, but they document for posterity this dark period of our history
Monsignor Silvio Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, in exile; monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, exiled by the regime to the Vatican.

The Church has conceded everything, but the repression continues

Since the protests of 2018 and the subsequent wave of repression, when the Episcopal Conference tried to mediate in the National Dialogue, the regime has not hesitated to surpass the repressive acts committed against the Church in the 1980s.

Also Read: Misioneros de Puerta de la Montaña culpables… de llenar la Plaza de la Fe

Now they have expelled the apostolic nuncio, suspended relations with the Vatican, Daniel Ortega himself has called the ecclesiastical authorities in Rome «an organized mafia,» they have expelled entire religious orders, forced numerous priests into exile, denied the return of others who traveled abroad, and closed religious radio stations and television channels.

They have arrested priests, sentenced them to long terms without fair trials, and then exiled them. They confiscated the Central American University (UCA) from the Society of Jesus and have prohibited traditional processions and other religious events, including the celebration of the anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin of Cuapa on Wednesday, May 8.

The Chinese model of relationship with the Vatican

And as dictator Daniel Ortega tends to look at China as a model to follow, many wonder if he seeks to bring the Vatican to accept the model that the Asian giant has imposed on the Catholic Church there.

The Chinese communist government created the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association in 1975. Its goal: to control Catholics. In this association, the Chinese government appoints bishops, although the Vatican can issue a veto if it disagrees. Pope Francis has defended the acceptance of this scheme by stating that the ideal and the possible are not the same.

«Facing a closed situation,» the pope explained, according to the website Aceprensa.com, «we must seek the possible path, not the ideal one; diplomacy is the art of the possible and making the possible become reality.»

In China, priests are required to register with the Association in order to exercise their ministry. Those who refuse to register face pressure imposed by the Chinese regime, such as being unable to use electronic forms of payment and other forms of harassment.

Nicaragua has not reached the point where the government appoints bishops. It cannot appoint or veto bishops. However, it can arrest, convict, and torment with new waves of repression. The challenge for the Church is to present a conciliatory face and discourse without, at any point, bowing to the government. It has not yet achieved this.

Eventually, the pope will have to decide

The Vatican will eventually have to decide who will lead the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. One option is to extend Cardinal Brenes’ term of service, despite having already reached the age of 75. Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, his predecessor, had his archbishopric extended beyond the age of 79.

However, according to the knowledgeable layman from León about the situation in the Diocese of León, Cardinal Brenes could be facing issues due to what many priests have considered a lack of leadership in protecting priests who have been persecuted and imprisoned.

«In the sense that you have Silvio Báez, who obviously has informed Rome that the cardinal has been unassertive. You have Rolando Álvarez, who is already in Rome, also saying that the cardinal never stood up for him,» said this layman, who is very close to the Diocese of León and its priests. «You have all the priests of Managua who recently left, who will also say that the cardinal never stood up for them.»

«You have the CELAM, which is the Latin American Episcopal Council, informing the pope that the cardinal’s voice is never heard in defense of anything. Do you understand? So you have a lot of information before the Holy See that the cardinal has remained silent,» the layman added.

Also Read:

They are seeking an archbishop with the wisdom of Solomon and the patience of Job

The layman from León, on his part, says that Cardinal Brenes’ successor could be either Monsignor Álvarez or Monsignor Báez. He adds that the important thing is for them to conduct themselves impartially because to resolve the crisis in Nicaragua, sooner or later, there would have to be a dialogue with those who have deep differences.

«Even if you are right, a conflict is not resolved by shouting. In other words, even if you are right in your claim, I cannot tell you, ‘keep shouting,’ but I can tell you, ‘let’s sit down and talk,'» the layman explained. «And the mediator has to be a person who is impartial and does not show bias towards your side or the other side. They must have a lot of wisdom.»

English Daniel Ortega Iglesia Católica libre archivo

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