These words were said by the Auxiliary Bishop of Managua in exile, Bishop Silvio Baéz, in an interview with the National Catholic Register news agency.
Gaudium Press English Edition
Newsdesk (01/07/2022 19:25, Gaudium Press) An important interview was granted by Bishop Silvio Baez – still Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, though in exile for three years – to the National Catholic Register’s senior editor, Joan Frawley Desmond. In it, he sets out the situation in his country under Ortega’s dictatorship and the persecution of the Church, which has now become very visible with the recent expulsion of the sisters of Mother Teresa.
The interview was granted to the Register on June 20th.
“It is a dictatorship in every sense of the word,” qualifies Bishop Báez the regime that is in power for the second time, since 2007. “As a bishop, I can say that the current regime in Nicaragua has converted our country into a prison, a prison,” he continues, in an aphorism reminiscent of the prison-island label that many give to Cuba.
Bishop Báez lives in Miami and from there he continues to carry out a ministry with the many Nicaraguans who have had to flee their country, helping them to regularise their situation, among other tasks. He also teaches at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.
The prelate stated that in an audience last November he handed the Pope documents about the situation of political prisoners in Nicaragua.
Regarding his personal situation, which he described as “uncertain,” he confessed that “the Holy Father told me: ‘Don’t worry about your future,‘ and that gave me great confidence: God will provide.
A regime that camouflaged itself as sheep… and as shepherd
Bishop Baéz pointed out that Ortega’s regime has sought to “present itself as Christian, socialist and in solidarity” with the people.
“He invokes the name of Christ, uses Catholic terminology and expresses many of his statements in religious language. Besides wanting to deceive the people with this style – Nicaragua is very Catholic – the prelate believes that this language also seeks to sow division in the Church.
He pointed out that supporters of the regime carried out religious-type activities that sought to compete with parish efforts during the pandemic, when “the Church was prohibited from holding large-scale meetings while the government did not limit its own.”
It is clear that there is a crude imitation of Catholic religious activities carried out by the Sandinistas, in which numerous syncretic expressions are mixed, combining “Catholic prayers with prayers to cosmic powers, Christian symbols with pentagrams. This is something designed to infuse religion into their criminal enterprise.”
Despite the difficult situation in Nicaragua, Bishop Báez does not lose hope:
“As a pastor, I believe in the power of the Resurrection. Every Sunday I urge the people not to get used to the injustice they are experiencing and I pray that the Resurrection will revive the aspirations and hope of the Nicaraguan people to work for the common good of their country.”
“The regime wants them to consider this as the new normal,” the bishop said. “But it is not.“
Compiled by Roberta MacEwan
Photo: Twitter