According to ACI Prensa, the prohibition affects the dioceses of Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí, all of which are currently deprived of their resident bishop after several prelates were expelled or forced to leave the country.
Dioceses without bishops and under pressure from the regime
Among the affected bishops is Mons. Carlos Herrera, bishop of Jinotega and president of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, expelled in November 2024 after publicly criticizing a mayor close to the regime who had interrupted a Mass with loud music.
Months earlier, in July 2024, Herrera had ordained a priest and seven deacons in the neighboring diocese of Matagalpa. That celebration was described as a “liturgical oasis” amid the persecution, according to researcher Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report Nicaragua: Una Iglesia perseguida.
Priests denounce police control and hostility from the regime
Three Nicaraguan priests in exile, consulted by ACI Prensa under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, assure that the regime directly controls the ordinations and closely monitors the Church’s activities.
One of them stated that the police enforce the restrictions and attributed the prohibition in Matagalpa to the “hatred of the dictatorship against Monsignor Rolando Álvarez.”
The priest also denounced that the government is trying to “replace the bishops,” pressuring some clerics to submit to the regime’s decisions under the argument of avoiding greater reprisals against their dioceses.
Reinforced surveillance in dioceses without a bishop
The situation is even more restrictive in the dioceses that have been left without their pastor.
“In the dioceses that do not have a bishop, the surveillance is even more extreme to prevent another bishop from coming to perform any ordination,” explained another of the interviewed priests.
In the diocese of Siuna, for example, at least seven candidates for the priesthood who completed their studies in 2025, along with others who finished in 2024, are still waiting to receive ordination.
Pastoral consequences for the Church
Researcher Martha Patricia Molina warns that the prohibition of ordinations has “alarming” consequences for the pastoral life of the country.
In Matagalpa, for example, the diocese is currently operating with barely 30% of its active clergy, as seven out of every ten priests have been expelled or forced into exile.
In Estelí and Jinotega, pastoral capacity has been reduced by approximately half, leaving numerous communities without regular celebration of the Eucharist or sacramental accompaniment.
Additionally, dozens of seminarians who have already completed their formation remain in an uncertain situation. “They have the suitability and the calling, but they cannot access the sacrament of holy orders,” explained Molina.
The researcher warns that, without replacements for the expelled or banished priests, the Church in Nicaragua could face the progressive closure of parishes.
Some dioceses can still ordain
Meanwhile, ordinations remain possible in some dioceses where the bishops stay in the country, such as Managua, León, Juigalpa, Granada, and Bluefields.
In December 2025, three deacons were ordained in Juigalpa, while in January of this year two were ordained in Bluefields. In Managua, eight deacons ordained in June 2025 later received priesthood in November.
However, according to ecclesiastical sources, the regime interprets any attempt to ordain candidates from dioceses without a resident bishop as an interference in the “sovereignty” of the State, turning the issue into a political rather than ecclesiastical matter.
Vocations that persist despite persecution
Despite the pressure from the regime, the consulted priests agree that priestly vocations continue to grow in Nicaragua.
“The Lord continues to raise up brave young people who hear his call,” one of them affirmed.
In some cases, solutions have even been sought outside the country. In February, for example, two Nicaraguans were ordained priests in Costa Rica, in a ceremony held discreetly to avoid reprisals.
For the Nicaraguan priests, the situation reflects the harshness of religious persecution, but also the Church’s resistance.
“The Church in Nicaragua is crucified, but it is not immobilized,” affirmed one of the interviewed clerics. “The cross continues to bear fruit and the Church remains in motion.”