“On this solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, I am particularly close to the Nicaraguans. I invite you to join in prayer for the Church and the people of Nicaragua, who celebrate the Immaculate Conception as Mother and Patroness and intercede Her a cry of faith and hope. May the Heavenly Mother be a consolation for them in difficulties and uncertainties, and open the hearts of all, so that the path of respectful and constructive dialogue is always sought in order to promote peace, fraternity and harmony in the country,” are the words of the Holy Father after the Angelus on December 8 of this year 2024.
It is not common for a Pope to ask us to pray for a country on one of the most celebrated Marian feasts in the Catholic world. There are several reasons why Pope Francis invites us to take an interest in what is happening in this Central American country.
From the few reports published by news agencies, we know that the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is experiencing harsh persecution, imprisonment and exile, something that goes back years, but which has become even more severe in recent months. The Nicaraguan dictatorship, we know, has expelled nuns, has closed Catholic media outlets, is taking over ecclesiastical institutions and buildings, and has sent priests and bishops into exile or jail.
This call to prayer is in response to the current crisis in Nicaragua. The Ortega government has expelled more than 200 religious leaders and detained members of the clergy. Recently, the president of the Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Carlos Herrera, bishop of Jinotega, has been exiled, becoming the third Nicaraguan bishop expelled from the country in the last year.
A few days ago, on December 2, the Holy Father wrote a letter addressed to the “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ of the beloved Church in Nicaragua.” His letter begins with these words: “For some time now I have wanted to write you a pastoral letter to reiterate, once again, the affection I profess to the Nicaraguan people, who have always been distinguished by an extraordinary love for God, whom you so affectionately call Papachú. I am with you, especially in these days when you are celebrating the Novena of the Immaculate Conception.”
These are two important things for the life of a people who walk through the history of Central America: affection for Papachú and the NATIONAL devotion to the patron saint of Nicaragua, the Immaculate Conception. Indeed, addressing God in this familiar way has been a special strength for Catholics who have committed themselves to building the Kingdom in the face of the difficulties of civil society in this country of historical transformations. Meanwhile, publicly proclaiming devotion to the Immaculate Conception has become an essential characteristic of Nicaraguan Catholics.
For this reason, the Pope writes to them, insisting on this popular force: “Do not forget the loving Providence of the Lord, which accompanies us and is the only sure guide. Precisely in the most difficult moments, when it becomes humanly impossible to understand what God wants of us, we are called not to doubt his care and mercy. The filial trust you have in Him and also your fidelity to the Church are the two great beacons that illuminate your existence.”
The Holy Father continues his letter with words that fits with the Redemptorist preaching:
“Walking together, supported by a tender devotion to Mary, makes us follow the path of the Gospel with determination and leads us to renew our trust in God… I entrust you to the protection of the Immaculate Conception. You have chosen her as the Mother of your people. This is expressed in this simple and deeply trusting cry: Mary of Nicaragua, Nicaragua of Mary. So be it!”
The Redemptorists in Nicaragua
The people of Nicaragua have always prepared the feasts of the Virgin with great faith. As detailed by Father Darwin Espinal, CSsR who works in the parish of the Most Holy Redeemer in Managua, capital of Nicaragua. (Perpetual Help is in the heart of the people of Nicaragua)
As a curious fact, in Nicaragua, the icon of the Virgin has preceded the Redemptorist missionaries, according to the book Santa María del Perpetuo Socorro, Madre de Misericordia (2015), by confrere Bosco Rodríguez Alvarado CSsR, Nicaraguan, there is an oil on canvas, dating from 1914 and which is enthroned in the parish of Calvario, in the department of Chinandega, a year in which the sons of Saint Alphonsus had not yet arrived in these lands of lakes and volcanoes.
Today, in a country in crisis where the Church is persecuted every day and it is becoming increasingly difficult to proclaim the Gospel to those most in need, the Redemptorists accompany the people of God by giving testimony of their commitment to justice. In the Most Holy Redeemer Parish of Managua, Nicaraguan Bismark Antonio Matus made his perpetual profession on Sunday, March 5, 2023, and the parish community celebrated his commitment.
But the Redemptorist family is not limited to its physical presence in this country. They are always accompanied by the international solidarity shown by the different communities in various parts of the world. In America and Spain, activities continue to be organized that promote prayer and awareness of solidarity for a free and believing country.
Let us heed the Pope’s invitation to continue accompanying our confreres in this difficult mission territory and so we can say together: Mary of Nicaragua, Nicaragua of Mary. So be it!”
(EC – Scala News
