Nicaragua’s government says it has proposed suspending relations with the Vatican days after Pope Francis compared Pres. Ortega’s administration to a Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the country.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua --reportedly compared President Daniel Ortega’s administration to a communist or Nazi dictatorship amid a crackdown on the Catholic Church in the Central American country.
Dozens of religious figures were arrested or fled the country. Two congregations of nuns – including from the Missionaries of Charity order founded by Mother Teresa – were expelled last year, and prominent Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison last month after he refused to board an airplane that would have flown him to exile in the United States. He was also stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship.
Amid rumors that Nicaragua’s government had broken off ties with the Vatican following the comments, its foreign ministry released a statement Sunday saying: “a suspension of relations between the Republic of Nicaragua and the Vatican State has been proposed.” Nicaragua Nunca Más and CSW, a British-based organization that advocates for religious freedom around the world, have gathered testimonies from dozens of people who have described harassment, threats, physical violence and arbitrary detention targeted at a range of religious workers. There are multiple accounts of masked men breaking into churches, theft or destruction of religious objects, and the prohibition of religious processions.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nicaragua closes Vatican embassy in Managua, Nicaraguan embassy to VaticanNicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has ordered the closure of the Vatican Embassy in Managua and that of the Nicaraguan Embassy to the Vatican in Rome, a senior Vatican source said on Sunday.
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansPope Francis celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, with an agenda full of problems and plans and no longer encumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, 86, has backed off from talking about retiring and recently described the papacy as a job for life. “The master of ceremonies came out and said ‘Are you going in or not?’” Francis recalled in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansPope Francis is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy.
Read more »
Pope Francis: 'Gender ideology' is one of 'most dangerous ideological colonizations'Pope Francis spoke out against modern gender ideologies in an interview with Argentinian newspaper La Nación, calling it a 'dangerous' form of 'ideological colonization.'
Read more »
Pope Francis at 10 years: A reformer's learning curve, plansVATICAN CITY (AP) — So much for a short pontificate. Pope Francis celebrates the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the “two or three” years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down.
Read more »
Argentina's initial fervor for Pope Francis has fadedBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — When Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis, much of his home country celebrated as if it had just won a soccer World Cup championship. A decade later, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church generates divided opinions and much less fervor.
Read more »