July 14th marked six months since the release of two Nicaraguan bishops, 15 priests—among the best-prepared in the country—and two seminarians. All were exiled to the Vatican by the dictatorship, which revoked their Nicaraguan citizenship following a “difficult negotiation,” according to the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.
Upon their arrival at the Vatican, they received an order from the Pope: do not denounce the abuses, human rights violations, and crimes against humanity committed by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. However, this order was not only for them but for the entire clergy.
Monsignor Silvio Báez, who, despite being in exile since April 2019, has been confirmed by the Pope as the auxiliary bishop of Managua, was summoned to Rome that January. Since then, he has not celebrated Mass at St. Agatha Church in Miami, at the heart of the exiled community, where he used to preach to Nicaraguans both inside and outside the country. No one else has spoken out since.
“There is guidance from the Vatican to say absolutely nothing, supposedly to avoid causing further problems for the Catholic Church in Nicaragua,” said lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, author of the study Nicaragua, a Persecuted Church?, for this article.
“The order is to say absolutely nothing, nothing, nothing,” Molina emphasized.
“The problem is that the world will think everything is normal in Nicaragua”
“The issue with this order of silence is that the world might think everything is normal in Nicaragua, when there is nothing normal about it,” said a priest who requested anonymity from exile.
A consequence of this silence occurred on Wednesday, July 24th. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) convened a panel of international experts and Nicaraguan activists to participate in the forum: Deterioration of Religious Freedom Conditions in Nicaragua to testify about the repressive campaign that the Ortega-Murillo regime has unleashed against the Catholic Church since 2018. However, no priests participated in the panel, despite the fact that there are three Nicaraguan bishops who have been forced into exile and who could have made extraordinary contributions with their testimonies.
A specific example of how Pope Francis’ order of strict silence to Nicaraguan clergy is being implemented, both inside and outside of Nicaragua, could be the case of Father Uriel Vallejos. He was the parish priest of the Church of Jesus of Divine Mercy in Sébaco, Diocese of Matagalpa. After being forced into exile, he joined the parish of San Isidro Labrador in the canton of Vázquez de Coronado, in San José, Costa Rica. However, in early June, he was transferred to the Vatican.
Vallejos was probably the only voice in the Church that continued denouncing from the pulpit since January of this year, when the order of silence was issued. Since his transfer to the Vatican, Vallejos has not spoken out about Nicaragua again.
According to Molina, Vallejos’ bishop (Monsignor Rolando Álvarez) called him to Rome “to undertake studies in Theology with an emphasis on the social doctrine of the Church.” Studies or not, LA PRENSA reported that Vallejos left “in obedience to his bishop,” and the real outcome is that he has been silenced.
Despite the silence, repression against the Church continues
If part of the Vatican’s negotiation with the dictatorship to achieve the release of bishops Rolando Álvarez and Isidoro Mora, 15 priests, and two seminarians, as well as to allow what remains of the Church to carry out its pastoral work, was that profound silence, the dictatorship is not honoring its part of the agreement.
“The evil continues,” says the priest who requested anonymity not only out of fear that the dictatorship might retaliate against his family in Nicaragua but also to avoid openly contravening the Pope’s order.
“Priests continue to be exiled, radio stations have been shut down, accounts remain frozen, churches are still besieged, and our relatives are constantly harassed… the only difference is that there are no priests in prison, but the persecution goes on. That woman (Rosario Murillo, Vice President of Nicaragua) keeps spewing venom every day against the Church; she is an enemy of God,” said the priest.
The most recent case of an exiled clergyman to become public was that of Father Rodolfo French Naar, one of only eight Miskito priests in Nicaragua. He was in charge of the parish of Waspam in the Diocese of Siuna, in northeastern Nicaragua.
French Naar traveled to the United States for work, and when he was preparing to return in early July, the regime informed the airline that he was prohibited from re-entering the country.
“Some priests, both inside and outside the country, have asked me to stop denouncing the dictatorship because they say that every time I speak out, they feel that the repression intensifies,” Molina added.
The lawyer will present the fifth installment of her study Nicaragua, a Persecuted Church? in the coming weeks.
Many exiled priests left in Limbo due to lack of support from their bishops
In addition to the harassment from the Daniel Ortega regime and the silence imposed by the Vatican, Nicaraguan priests also face a lack of support from some bishops within the country. According to the count maintained by lawyer Molina, around 140 priests have been exiled, prevented from returning, or forced to leave due to pressures.
Religious figures in exile have sought to continue their ministry in the dioceses of the countries where they have managed to settle, primarily Costa Rica, the United States, or Spain. However, although priests are not abundant anywhere, to integrate into a new diocese or mission, priests who have been victims of the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship’s repression need a letter signed and sealed by their bishop, on the official letterhead of their original diocese.
“The bishop’s letter certifies that the priest was incardinated in his diocese, details the years he served, attests to his good conduct, and certifies that he is fit to lead a community. It also explains the reasons for his departure, requests support, and, if possible, asks for a new assignment. Additionally, the bishop provides his contact information for further inquiries,” Molina explained.
Although this might seem like a straightforward procedure to obtain, in some cases, it is not. According to Molina and the anonymous priest consulted, the bishops who are not providing these letters to the priests are Monsignor René Sándigo of León; Monsignor Jorge Solórzano of Granada; and the Archbishop of Managua, Monsignor Leopoldo Brenes.
“Especially Sándigo, he is the least cooperative,” Molina said. Bishop Sándigo has been accused of being close to the Daniel Ortega regime.
The priest who requested anonymity confirmed the situation. “Monsignor Sándigo and Monsignor Brenes are reluctant to issue the letters; the ordination letter is a requirement that bishops ask for to be in good standing in any diocese.”
“There are cases of priests who are in limbo; they remain priests but cannot celebrate Mass. However, there have been benevolent bishops who are aware of the situation in Nicaragua and have given the priests a vote of confidence, though this depends on the bishop’s willingness,” he adds.
Nicaragua diverges from the Vatican’s vision on how Catholics should engage in politics
From July 3 to 7, the Italian Catholic Church held the Social Week of Catholics, with the theme “At the Heart of Democracy: Participating Between History and the Future.” Pope Francis participated in the closing event on Sunday, July 7.
The Nicaraguan dictatorship expels three more priests from the country
“As Catholics, within this horizon, we cannot settle for a marginal or private faith,” said the Pope before about 1,200 participants at the conference held at the Generali Convention Center, according to Aci Prensa. “This means not so much demanding to be heard but, above all, having the courage to propose justice and peace in the public debate… We have something to say, but not to defend privileges. We must be a voice that denounces and proposes in a society often voiceless, where too many do not have a voice,” said the pontiff.
For Molina, these words from Pope Francis refer to the Social Doctrine of the Church. “In its reflections, the Catholic Church encourages the laity to participate in politics, not to remain passive, and not to live a religion detached from human and social reality,” she states.
This may apply to the rest of the world, but evidently, it does not apply to Nicaragua under the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship.