Relations between the Vatican and Nicaragua are at their worst. The Holy See revealed on Saturday that the Apostolic Nuncio in the country, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag had been asked to leave the territory. A measure bitterly regretted by Rome, which defends the work of its diplomat.
With our correspondent in the Vatican, Eric Senanque
” The Holy See received with much surprise and regret ” the expulsion of the nuncio can be read in a press release from the Vatican which evokes a measure ” incomprehensible “. The Holy See explains that Bishop Sommertag “ worked with deep dedication for the good of the Church and the people of Nicaragua and reaffirmed his support for his representative.
In recent years the Vatican has played a leading role in the political crisis in Nicaragua, through the Polish diplomat. Appointed in 2018 in Managua, he participated in the National Dialogue Table between power and opposition, alongside the country’s bishops and the Organization of American States, advocating in particular for the release of political prisoners. A position that has often irritated the Sandinista regime.
Just as with the country’s bishops, Bishop Sommertag’s relationship with the Ortega diet had deteriorated considerably in recent months. In 2019, Pope Francis had to ask the auxiliary bishop of Managua to temporarily leave his country following death threats.
The diplomatic crisis is total with Rome since the Nicaraguan ambassador to the Holy See left her post last September and has still not been replaced.