Thursday, August 17, 2023

Nicaragua: Two Priests Returning From WYD Prevented From Re-entering the Country

 

The government of Daniel Ortega has banned the re-entry into Nicaragua of two priests who participated in World Youth Day.

The Nicaraguan dictatorship has refused entry to the territory to two priests who had traveled to Portugal to participate in World Youth Day (WYD), an event that took place last week in Lisbon. 

These facts were revealed by Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan researcher in exile, who reported on the situation August 12.

The two priests prevented from re-entry are Fr. Tomás Sergio Zamora Calderón, parish priest of the Nuestro Señor de los Milagros church, in the diocese of León and Chinandega, in northwestern Nicaragua, and Fr. William Mora, parish priest of the Cristo Rey Church , in the Diocese of Siuna, in the north Caribbean region, said the researcher.

According to her statements, upon their return on August 11, the regime refused them entry into the country.

Fr. Zamora Calderón’s parish community “is appalled by the news.” This priest “for a long time, has been responsible for Caritas León (which had to close) and treasurer of the diocese of León and Chinandega,” said Mrs. Molina.

As for Fr. William Mora, he worked in youth ministry in the Diocese of Siuna and, according to Mrs. Molina, “had an active pastoral life in his community, which today wonders what will become of it without its pastor.”

So far, Nicaraguan authorities have not commented on this allegation, which is the government's usual response to such situations.

In recent years, Nicaraguan authorities have intensified the persecution of political dissidents and have also taken an interest in the Catholic Church, especially after opposition protests in 2018.

This situation has manifested itself in the closing of religious institutions, the suspension of diplomatic relations, and the expulsion and detention of priests, including Rolando Álvarez, the Bishop of Matagalpa, who since his imprisonment has become an important symbol of repression in the country.

Martha Patricia Molina argues that the expulsion, banishment, and exile of religious is a tactic that is part of the strategy of persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.