In addition to the bishop of Matagalpa, imprisoned since 2022, the bishop of Siuna, Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, two seminarians and 15 other priests were also released. The Nicaraguan government confirmed this.
Since December 20, at least 14 priests, two seminarians and the bishop of Siuna, Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, have been arrested in Nicaragua. In your …
Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican City
The release of the 19 representatives of the Catholic Church was announced by local media on Sunday, January 14, and later confirmed by the government of Managua. All but one of those remaining in Venezuela arrived in Rome in the last few hours and were received by the Holy See.
Dom Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, was sentenced to 26 years in prison in an internationally criticized trial; He had been in prison since February last year, after being under house arrest since August 2022. Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, however, was arrested in December last year.
The Pope's constant concern
During the Angelus prayer on January 1st, the Pope once again recalled the situation of bishops and priests “deprived of freedom” in the Central American country and guaranteed their “closeness in prayer”. He took the opportunity to invite the people of God to pray for Nicaragua, hoping “that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome difficulties”.
12 Nicaraguan priests were released from prison in October last year. The Holy See agreed to accept them. Since their arrival in Rome, they have been housed in diocesan facilities.
(Vatican news)