AMERICA/NICARAGUA - The Bishops: "We will not abandon the Dialogue" despite the aggression and hostility of the government

Managua (Agenzia Fides) - "We Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, decided today (10 July), to continue to provide the service that the government has asked us, as mediators and witnesses of the national Dialogue". With the same enthusiasm and commitment": with these words, sent to Fides, Mgr. Silvio José Baez, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, announced that the Dialogue will not stop, that the attempts for a peaceful agreement for the democratization of the country will continue.
Despite the physical and verbal attacks on Monday 9th in Diriamba suffered by Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Mgr. Silvio Baez, who was wounded and robbed of his episcopal insignia and by the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag (see Fides 10/07/2018), the Bishops have decided to go ahead because they hope to find a peaceful solution to the socio-political crisis that the country is experiencing and that has caused at least 320 deaths since last April.
During an extraordinary meeting, the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua was unanimous in its decision to continue as guarantor in this dialogue, which began on May 16, because, as Bishop Baez says, "we continue to believe that dialogue is the way to overcome violence". "We will not withdraw, despite the hostility of the government" stressed the auxiliary Bishop of Managua. Mgr. Baez also urged the Nicaraguans to have faith and hope that peace will be achieved by using peaceful methods.
The meeting, which lasted more than six hours, was held yesterday, July 10th, at Our Lady of Fatima Seminary, in Managua, presided by Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua and President of the Episcopal Conference. The Episcopate will meet at the end of this week to resume dialogue, said the Bishop of the diocese of Jinotega, Mgr. Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, O.F.M.
The Episcopal Conference had temporarily suspended the dialogue table to overcome the crisis determined by the physical attacks suffered by Bishops and priests and the desecration of the sacred place in the city of Diriamba, events that made some believe that Dialogue was permanently suspended.
Agenzia Fides received letters of solidarity from the Nicaraguan prelates of the Episcopal Conferences of Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Mexico, where Catholic communities are united in prayer to support the Bishops of Nicaragua in the search for a peaceful solution to the crisis. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 11/07/2018)

Share:

local churches

---

---

social situation

---

---

politics

---

---

democracy

---

---

human rights

---

---

violence

---

---