Cross processions have been organized on Good Friday night in different parts of the world. In Nicaragua, people celebrate Easter despite opposition from the left-wing government.
12:32•Updated 13:18
Latin America’s strong Catholicism is a headwind in Nicaragua. The dispute has progressed to the level of diplomacy.
The Vatican closed its mission in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, in protest of the president Daniel Ortega for decisions to limit the church’s activities in the country.
Catholics are the largest denomination in Nicaragua. The restrictions are based on the anti-government protests that started in 2018. Ortega has banned the opposition’s expressions more generally.
A long prison sentence for the bishop
The Catholic Church has been involved in social movements.
Attempts have been made to curb the church’s activities in many ways. Last year, two nuns were deported from Nicaragua. Bishop Rolando Alvarez has been sentenced to 26 years in prison. He refused to fly abroad and stayed to serve his sentence in Nicaragua. The prison sentence has been written about by, among others, the American NBC channel (you will switch to another service).
Dozens of other church and political opposition leaders have fled Nicaragua.
Panamanian pastor Donaciano Alarcón deported to Honduras last week. The reason given was “organizing a festive procession and inciting the crowd” in Cusmapa.
Pope of Francis is hoped to mediate the dispute. So far, he has not commented on the breach between church and state.
The Catholic Church leader’s silence has been justified, among other things, by the fact that he wants to avoid further escalation of the confrontation.
Jesus running from the police in the streets
Citizens seem to defy the government’s ban, especially during Easter week. Demonstrations are prohibited, but events have been organized in church yards and indoors.
Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes told the news agency AP that Easter has been celebrated all over Nicaragua.
– Events have been organized in every parish, although not as intensively and spectacularly as in some previous years, the cardinal said
Spouse of President Ortega, Vice President Rosario Murillo your parishioners.
– This is part of the manipulation of those who do not believe in God and do not live as Christians, peacefully and in solidarity, Mrs. Murillo said.
According to the newspaper El Pais, strange scenes have been seen on the streets, when the Jesus figures of the Easter processions run away from the police.
A Russian and a Ukrainian youth prayed for peace
About 20,000 people participated in the Via Crucis event in Rome.
The procession dedicated to the victims of the conflict culminated in a moment of prayer at the Colosseum, where a young Ukrainian and a young Russian prayed for peace and brotherhood.
The Ukrainian said that he fled the fighting with his grandmother, but returned to Ukraine because of homesickness. The Russian said his brother had died fighting in Ukraine.
Crowds have returned to the events of Christendom’s great celebration in the Vatican, as the pandemic prevented public events for two years. Last year, events could be organized again.
The recovering Pope skipped the Via Crucis procession
The 86-year-old Pope Francis, who is recovering from bronchitis, did not attend the event because the weather was cool in Rome.
It was the first time Francis missed an event during his ten-year pontificate. Franciscus had to spend three nights in hospital last week due to illness.
The Pope has reportedly suffered from illness in recent years, and last week’s hospital visit was the second since 2021.
The Vatican said in a short statement on Friday that the Pope planned to follow the procession from his official residence in Santa Marta.
However, earlier on Friday, Francis presided over an event in St. Peter’s Church, where he arrived in a wheelchair. He is expected to hold the traditional Easter mass and his Urbi et orbi speech in Pietarinaukki on Sunday.
AP, Reuters, STT