Pope Leo XIV Receives Exiled Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez

‘A lion of faith’

Arturo McFields, former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), told ACI Prensa: “I believe there is a clear interest in listening to the voice of the persecuted, but not silenced, Church. I believe the Vatican is interested in learning more about Nicaragua and in restoring that prophetic voice to Nicaragua and beyond, because what is happening in Nicaragua is iconic; it not only deserves attention but also clear follow-up.”

He added: “I think there has been a significant change in recent months, because many bishops who didn’t preach frequently are now doing so, and many priests are speaking about what is happening in Nicaragua.” 

“Pope Leo is truly a lion of faith and is interested in the people of Nicaragua, in their faith, which has been strengthened despite the persecution. These audiences and meetings demonstrate this interest and this desire to respond to the prayers of the Nicaraguan people,” the former ambassador emphasized.

“We must be attentive because better times are coming for the Church: The faith of the people is there, and their fervent prayers are being heard and, most importantly, answered,” he noted.

Pope Leo XIV and Nicaragua

Thursday’s audience between Pope Leo XIV and Álvarez comes after the Holy Father received three other exiled Nicaraguan bishops in August: Bishop Silvio Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua; Isidoro Mora, bishop of Siuna; and Carlos Enrique Herrera, bishop of Jinotega and president of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference.

Báez said at the time that he, his brother bishops, and Pope Leo XIV “spoke at length about Nicaragua and the situation of the Church in particular.”

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been suffering fierce persecution at the hands of the dictatorship of Ortega and Murillo, which intensified in 2018 with the repression of popular protests.

On Oct. 2, Pope Leo XIV received a copy of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church” by researcher Martha Patricia Molina, published in August, which decries the prohibition of more than 16,500 processions and acts of piety as well as more than 1,000 attacks by the dictatorship against the Catholic Church.

When the report was presented, Molina told the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, “EWTN Noticias,” that the number of reported attacks could be much higher, but this is not the case because “the laity are terrified” by the dictatorship’s threats and Catholic priests “are forbidden from making any complaints.”

Who is Bishop Rolando Álvarez?

Álvarez is a Nicaraguan bishop and critic of the Ortega-Murillo regime who was confined by police to his episcopal residence starting in August 2022, along with priests, seminarians, and a layperson.

Two weeks later, when they had almost run out of food, the police stormed the house and abducted Álvarez, taking him to Managua, the country’s capital.

In a controversial trial, the dictatorship sentenced him in February 2023 to 26 years and four months in prison, accusing him of being a “traitor to the homeland.” The bishop was sent to La Modelo prison, where political prisoners are incarcerated.

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After refusing in conscience to leave his flock to board a plane on which the dictatorship deported more than 200 political prisoners to the United States, Álvarez was finally deported to Rome in January 2024, following Vatican mediation, along with the bishop of Siuna, Isidoro Mora, other priests, and seminarians.

By decision of Pope Francis, Álvarez participated in the Synod on Synodality held in October 2024 at the Vatican.

In February of this year, the prelate gave an interview to “EWTN Noticias” in which he highlighted, among other things, that when he was imprisoned he was sustained by prayer and that Pope Francis confirmed him in his position as bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, despite being “in the diaspora.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.