“The Church has been beheaded,” says the priest laconically, like many of the Nicaraguan clergy who have been forced into exile. The priest, who agreed to speak with LA PRENSA under strict conditions of confidentiality, feels that Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo are determined to, if not destroy, at least reduce the Catholic Church in Nicaragua to insignificance.
More than 140 religious figures, including an apostolic nuncio, three bishops, monsignors, and priests from humble parishes, have been forced to leave the country since April 2018, when the citizen rebellion erupted and was brutally crushed by the dictatorship, resulting in the deaths of over 325 Nicaraguans, according to international organizations and human rights experts commissioned by the Organization of American States and the United Nations.
The Church denounced the killings, illegal arrests, summary trials, widespread repression—in short, the violence with which the regime acted. This violence, which today is unanimously recognized by the democratic community of nations, was carried out by the dictatorship while committing crimes against humanity.
“Because of that denunciation, the Church is a nuisance to them,” says the priest.
A tally conducted by LA PRENSA estimates that there are at least 611 clergy members in Nicaragua. The 143 priests represent approximately 23 percent of the entire clergy in the ecclesiastical province of Nicaragua, which consists of one archdiocese and eight dioceses.
All dioceses have been affected by the regime’s revenge, which disposes of priests in various ways: some are forced into exile through pressure, others are not allowed to return when they leave the country, despite being Nicaraguan by birth, and in the most extreme cases, 30 clergy members were imprisoned for months before being banished to the Vatican. In October 2023, the dictatorship expelled 12 religious figures, followed by 18 more in January 2024. This last group included Bishops Isidoro Mora of the Diocese of Siuna and Rolando Álvarez of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
Matagalpa is precisely one of the most affected dioceses. “This absence impacts the entire province. There are dioceses like Matagalpa where nearly half of the clergy are in exile. Other dioceses facing problems are Estelí and the Archdiocese of Managua. The remaining priests are young but are doing what they can,” says the priest.
The dictatorship’s operation against the clergy has been surgical. It has not only expelled the most critical voices from the pulpit or from independent media—which are now operating from exile—but has also expelled the most qualified priests. This was particularly evident in December 2023 when the dictatorship conducted a raid on priests in key positions, such as Monsignor Carlos Avilés, General Vicar of the Archdiocese of Managua, and Monsignor Silvio Fonseca, Vicar of Family and Life. Matagalpa and Estelí, which are other extremely dramatic examples, lack both bishops and diocesan vicars.
“Most of us who are outside are well-educated; we studied at pontifical universities in Rome or Spain. For example, Monsignor Miguel Mántica has a PhD,” explained the priest.
Another emblematic case was the arrest and subsequent expulsion of Father Raúl Zamora, pastor of the Divine Mercy Parish in Villa Fontana, Managua. On the night of July 13 and the early morning of July 14, 2018, his church was attacked by paramilitaries for 12 hours because the priest had sheltered students from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) who were fleeing gunfire. The student Gerald Vásquez López died inside the church after being shot in the head outside the temple. Father Zamora left the bullet holes in the church walls unrepaired as a testament to the brutal aggression.
The regime is also disrupting the generational transition
Although there are currently no priests in prison and the Church no longer comments on issues that might upset the dictatorship, reports of harassment continue, and the repression seems to have entered a new phase, this time targeting the generational transition.
On Saturday, July 27, the administrator “Ad Omnia” of the Diocese of Estelí, Father Frutos Valle (the highest authority in absence of the bishop), was ordered by the regime’s police not to proceed with the ordination of three deacons. After the cancellation was leaked to the media, the police detained the 80-year-old Father Valle and sent him to the Fatima Seminary in Managua, where he was placed under illegal house arrest, as he is not allowed to leave despite not being charged or under investigation.
But according to the priest and researcher Martha Patricia Molina, seminarians face a more widespread issue: they have been unable to validate and complement their seminary studies because there is now no university in Nicaragua that recognizes or expands their academic offerings. This is an additional disincentive for young people who wish to enter the seminary in a country where the Church is under siege.
“It is not the same for a priest to receive preparation solely from the seminary as it is for one who also has academic training, which offers a different perspective and complements the preparation provided at the seminary,” explained Molina.
Seminarians complemented their theological studies with courses in Philosophy and Humanities at the Juan Pablo II University and the Immaculate Conception University in Managua.
“Seminarians had the opportunity to pursue university studies at Juan Pablo II University, which the regime confiscated and converted into Ricardo Morales Avilés Multidisciplinary University, and at the Archdiocese of Managua’s university, which was closed under what is termed voluntary dissolution—a tactic the regime has allowed some organizations to use in order to avoid the confiscation of their assets,” explained Molina.
The exiled priest elaborated on the issue: “Juan Pablo II University was confiscated, so what was the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology of the National Seminary of Fátima was part of Juan Pablo II University. When students completed their studies, the university would issue the degrees. But since they no longer exist, their courses are not recognized by any university, making it more difficult to pursue further studies abroad.”
“In the case of the Seminary La Purísima, there was the Immaculate Conception University, which voluntarily dissolved before its assets could be confiscated, because a seminary like that would be a significant prize for the dictatorship,” explained the priest.
These strikes also appear to be surgical, aiming to cause specific damage to the Nicaraguan Catholic Church at a time when ecclesiastical authorities are reaching retirement age.
The Episcopal Conference is decimated
Of the 10 bishops comprising the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN), three are in exile: Monsignor Silvio Báez, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua; Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa; and Monsignor Isidoro Mora, Bishop of Siuna.
Monsignor Abelardo Mata, former Bishop of Estelí, was retired due to age in 2021, and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, as well as Monsignor Carlos Enrique Herrera, Bishop of Jinotega, have both reached the age of 75 and must submit their resignations. However, the pope can allow them to remain in their positions for years, especially if they continue to fully exercise their duties.
This indicates that, within a relatively short period, and given the assumption that the dictatorship will not accept the return of the exiled bishops, Nicaragua will likely need to appoint three new bishops to replace those retired due to age. The Vatican will also need to find a way to “wait” for the three exiled bishops.
The situation is complex precisely due to the number of priests who have been forced to leave. “At the moment, there are no candidates. The pope will likely extend the terms for the cardinal and Bishop Herrera, but everything is complicated, especially because there is no nuncio,” stated the priest.
“We do not currently see among the priests inside anyone who has the capacity to be a bishop. Although there are some who want to become bishops,” admitted the priest, mentioning Father Julio Arana, pastor of the Church of San Judas Tadeo in San Judas, Managua, and Father Boanerges Carballo, from the Church of Santo Domingo in Las Sierritas de Managua. Both are considered close to the dictatorship.
“They want it, but I doubt it,” the priest said. “In any case, that is a decision for the Holy See,” he added.
The closure of Radio María: unique worldwide
The case of the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship’s repression against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is becoming emblematic globally.
Following the unjustified closure of Radio María in Nicaragua, after the regime canceled its legal status on July 9, Vittorio Viccardi, president of World Family—the organization responsible for the global network of Radio María stations—stated from Argentina that, although this is not the first time they have faced government pressures, they have managed to overcome such challenges even in conflict regions like Africa or the Middle East, where they have resolved impasses and continued to operate. This was not achieved with the dictatorship in Nicaragua, which is increasingly aligning with the world’s most repressive regimes.
