Pope Francis Wants to Have Talks With Nicaragua About Their Catholic Crackdown
(Photo : VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)
The Vatican and Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega have never seen eye-to-eye for decades. With Ortega's government cracking down on dissenters, including members of the Catholic Church's clergy, Pope Francis declared he wants to have a dialogue with the Nicaraguan government.
The first Pope from Latin America revealed that the Vatican was recently in contact with the Nicaraguan government and talked to them about the recent crackdowns on the Catholic Church. These actions included the expulsion of nuns from Mother Teresa's Sisters of Charity religious order from the country, forcing the Vatican ambassador, the Papal Nuncio, out of Nicaragua, and the recent arrest of a well-loved Bishop critical of Daniel Ortega.
In a statement, Pope Francis said, "There is dialogue. That doesn't mean we approve of everything the government is doing, or disapprove of it. There is dialogue." He also stressed that while he does not approve of what is going on in Nicaragua, the Vatican is not prepared to sever contact or relations with the South American country.
Pope Wants Sisters of Charity Order to at Least Return to Nicaragua
The expulsion of the entire Catholic religious order known as the Sisters of Charity, which was founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta herself, was one of the main points of contention between the Vatican and the Nicaraguan government.
Speaking from the Papal Plane, the Pope expressed his hopes that the order be at least allowed to return and continue their charity work for the poor of Nicaragua. According to the Associated Press, he said that the nuns were great revolutionaries of the Gospel and are not making war against anyone.
He added he cannot understand why they were expelled from Nicaragua and hopes they can go back one day. Reuters reports that these nuns have been working with Guatemala's poor for over three decades already.
The Pope also called the expulsion of Papal Ambassador Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag a "serious diplomatic" incident. The Argentinian said that he was a very capable diplomat who had recently been appointed as the head of the Vatican's embassy in West Africa.
Nicaragua's Crackdown of Daniel Ortega's Critics
Nicaragua has cracked down on clergy members of the Roman Catholic Church by arresting priests, forcing some into exile, and taking over Church-owned radio and TV stations.
Bishop Rolando Alvarez of Matagalpa, a known critic of Ortega, was besieged inside his home by police for several days, not allowing him outside, even to celebrate Holy Mass. It ended with police arresting him and several other priests.
However, Ortega isn't just cracking down on the Church, but also on civilians, as Nicaraguan police often raid independent media outlets, forcing an exodus of independent journalists from the country, with many fleeing to Costa Rica and reporting about the events in Nicaragua from there.
Daniel Ortega also repressed his political opposition, jailing all those who attempted to run against him in last year's elections, as well as replacing democratically-elected mayors who were part of opposition parties with members of his own Sandinista Party.
READ MORE: Pope Francis Worried For Nicaragua After Bishop's Arrest
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Nicaragua accused of cracking down on Catholic groups - Al Jazeera English