Bishop Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, said in a public interview nearly a year after Nicaragua's communist dictator Daniel Ortega exiled him that he believes “our peace is the will of the Lord.'' He said that
Mr. Alvarez was an outspoken critic of Mr. Ortega and his communist government. exiled He was sent to the Vatican in January 2024 after being imprisoned for more than 500 days for “treason.” 2023, Ortega administration declared Alvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship, leaving the Catholic bishop apparently stateless. violation of international law.
The cleric's 'treason' conviction and subsequent expulsion from the country is part of a larger and more ruthless crime persecution Nicaragua suspended Christianity in Nicaragua as punishment for the Catholic Church's support for pro-democracy and anti-communist protests in 2018.
the exiled bishop spoke in a spanish newspaper La Tribuna de Albacete The priest made the visit Sunday to the eponymous Spanish city as part of an extensive pastoral visit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Matagalpa in December 1924. The priest said all he seeks is “to carry out the will of the Lord.” Lord” 2025.
Before visiting Albacete, Álvarez visited diocesan seminarians and priests in exile in the Greek and Spanish cities of Toledo, Seville and Valencia. He said in an interview that Albacete welcomes priests from the diocese to study at the Catholic University of Valencia.
“For me, this is the primary pastoral task above any other priority option. He is our closest collaborator in the missionary mission,” Alvarez said.
“Without the priests, I cannot work. For this reason, I will devote all the necessary time to them and to the seminarians, who represent the future of the clergy,” he continued.
When asked how the Nicaraguan Catholic Church feels about the situation in Nicaragua, the bishop replied: letter Pope Francis sent the document to the faithful in Nicaragua in December, and he read excerpts from it. mass The event was held in Seville, Spain to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
“In it, the pope uses words of familiarity to encourage us, “never forget the loving providence of the Lord, who is our companion and our only sure guide,'' Álvarez said.
“It is in our most difficult moments, when it seems impossible to humanly understand what God wants of us, that we are called not to doubt God’s care and mercy. ” he continued.
Mr. Alvarez further referred to Pope Francis' letter when asked how he is dealing with the difficult situation of Christian persecution in Nicaragua.
“Be confident that faith and hope work miracles. Turn to the Immaculate Virgin. She is a shining witness of this confidence. You will always experience maternal protection in every need, “They have shown their gratitude with a very beautiful and spiritually rich religiosity,” Álvarez replied, quoting Pope Francis' letter.
“For this reason, we always welcome La Purisima“I am the protector of Nicaragua,” he continued.
Alvarez sent a message to young people, urging them to be “courageous, creative and innovative” and not be afraid to “continue to maintain the energy we need to make the world a better place for everyone.” I encouraged her. The priest also encouraged the young people to look to the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph as examples.
“As a righteous man, St. Joseph exemplifies courage and trust in providence,” Pope Francis said in his letter to Patrice Corde. “He knew how to say 'yes,'” Alvarez said.
“The Gospel teaches that God always succeeds in saving what matters, but only if we have the creative courage of Joseph, who always trusted in providence and knew how to turn problems into opportunities. ” he continued.
In conclusion, Bishop Alvarez said that he was only interested in “doing what the Lord wants” and that he asked the Holy Spirit to “discern to discover the voice of the Lord within me in the signs and events of the times.” He said he was seeking “power.” history. “
“And each time we meet another, looking into each other's eyes without fear, humiliation or strangeness, the will of God is born in us,” Alvarez concluded.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan writer who chronicles life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
