Nicaragua exiles 7 priests amid new wave of detentions targeting Catholic leaders
Seven Nicaraguan priests who were detained in recent weeks have been exiled to Rome amidst a significant crackdown on the Catholic Church by President Daniel Ortega's administration.
The clergy members were among the religious leaders detained by National Police in the Diocese of Matagalpa, which is led by the outspoken regime critic Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who was exiled earlier this year as he faced a 26-year prison sentence.
The seven priests reportedly left Nicaragua on Wednesday and arrived at the Vatican on Thursday, according to Vatican News, which notes that the Nicaraguan government has exiled at least five different groups of priests since October 2022.
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The detained priests were kept under house arrest and held at the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of Fátima before their expulsion.
Those expelled include two senior diocese leaders, Fathers René Vega Matamoros and Edgard Sacasa, who assumed leadership of the Diocese of Matagalpa after the bishop was exiled. They were detained on Aug. 1.
Others include Father Marlon Velázquez, Father Jairo Pravia and Vicar Víctor Godoy of the Immaculate Conception of María de Sebáco Church, Franciscan Friar Silvio José Romero and Father Harvin Tórrez, the rector of the Matagalpa seminary and parish priest of Santa María de Guadalupe Church in Matagalpa who was detained on Monday.
The expulsions are part of a broader campaign by the Ortega regime, which has been intensifying its grip on dissenting voices within the Catholic Church by detaining and exiling priests, often without due process.
The ruling regime of the far-left Sandinista National Liberation Front has been notably aggressive, with police capturing clergy directly from their parish residences, often holding them incommunicado before forcing them into exile.
In related incidents, Father Frutos Valle, aged 80, was detained on July 27 but later released and returned to his parish in Estelí, according to Catholic Review.
The crackdown extended over several days in early August, with additional detentions of religious leaders from Matagalpa. The series of detentions is a result of the ongoing tensions between the Nicaraguan government and the Catholic Church, with the government's actions being widely condemned internationally.
Mervyn Thomas, founding president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, called these detentions unjust, calling on the international community to hold the Ortega regime accountable for its actions, which he described as a violation of the freedom of religion or belief.
Despite the exiling of priests and other religious figures, many, such as Fr. Raúl Villegas and Friar Ramón Morras, remain unaccounted for, contributing to the growing concern over the safety and freedom of religious leaders in Nicaragua.
The Pontifical Mission Societies USA has issued appeals for prayers for the safety and strength of the Nicaraguan clergy, saying the most recent wave of arrests continue to demoralize the diocese.
"In these challenging times, it is crucial for us to unite in prayer for the Church in Nicaragua," the appeal reads. "Let us pray for the safety and strength of the priests, deacons, and all members of the clergy who are courageously upholding their faith amidst persecution. Our prayers can offer them solace and support, reminding them that they are not alone in their struggle."
Álvarez and over a dozen other imprisoned clergy members were released from detention and exiled in January as part of a negotiation with the Vatican. The bishop, a critic of the government's treatment of the Catholic Church, was sentenced in February 2023 to 26 years in prison after he was convicted of "undermining national integrity."
The Vatican was forced to close its nunciature in Managua in March 2023. In recent years, over 200 religious figures have either fled or been forced to leave the country, the French newspaper La Croix reports, citing the human rights collective Nicaragua Nunca Mas.
Watchdog organization Open Doors has highlighted the escalating persecution of Christians in Nicaragua, especially since the 2018 anti-regime protests.
The government's crackdown has included arrests of Christian leaders, seizure of Christian properties and closures of Christian schools, TV stations and charities. Legal amendments have branded church leaders as terrorists, with the government aiming to control church finances.
U.S. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Alabama Republicans Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville have been outspoken in their support for the imprisoned pastors, urging the Biden administration to implement strong, targeted sanctions against the Nicaraguan government.
Similarly, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., led a bipartisan group of 58 members of Congress in a letter to the Nicaraguan ambassador, expressing deep concerns over these violations of religious freedom.
The U.S. State Department identifies Nicaragua as a "Country of Particular Concern" for engaging in egregious religious freedom violations. In its annual international religious freedom report, the State Department notes that government crackdowns have also impacted Evangelicals in Nicaragua.
