Nicaraguan bishops and clergy were attacked by armed groups aligned with the government on July 9 as violence in the Central American country escalated and affected the Catholic Church, which has provided humanitarian assistance in its parishes and has tried to diffuse a worsening political crisis through dialogue. His Eminence Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano of Managua and his auxiliary, Bishop Silvio Jose Baez, and His Grace Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, the apostolic nuncio, were among clergy from Managua pummeled as they attempted to protect St Sebastian Basilica in the city of Diriamba from an incursion by a pro-government mob. His Excellency Bishop Baez and at least one other priest were injured. Journalists also were attacked and had cameras and other equipment stolen.
As reported by Catholic Herald, His Excellency Bishop Baez tweeted, along with a picture of a gash on his arm and blood-stained habit, “I was injured, punched in the stomach, they took my episcopal symbols away from me, and verbally attacked me. I’m OK, thank God. The basilica is free and so are those who were inside. We have felt brutal force against our priests. We had gone to (the) parish to console our priests, to accompany them in this suffering and were attacked.”
In his Angelus address the following day, the Pontiff called on the faithful to pray for Nicaragua and expressed his support for the country’s bishops and so many people of goodwill in their role of mediation and witness for the process of national dialogue on the path of democracy.
Source: Catholic Herald
