Churches in Nicaragua Facing Crackdown This Easter
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MANAGUA (Worthy News) – Christians across autocratically-ruled Nicaragua “are celebrating Holy Week” leading up to Easter under the watchful eye of police and paramilitary forces, Christians told Worthy News on Good Friday.
According to sources familiar with the situation, the heightened tensions follow the decision of the Sandinista government led by Daniel Ortega and Rosaria Murillo to ban many public celebrations, including processions that are common among Latin American churches.
“In Nicaragua, the public religious celebrations have been outlawed for the past two years. Since then, harassment against Christians throughout the country has intensified, resulting in hundreds of religious leaders being either imprisoned or exiled,” said Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), an advocacy group supporting Christians in the region.
Instead of traditionally church-run festivities, some municipalities have organized government-operated events, Worthy News learned.
One exiled Nicaraguan political leader, Felix Maradiaga, believes that “the model Sandinistas want to implement is very similar to that of [communist-run] China.”
Like in China, he noted government-operated churches “promoting government propaganda under the guise of religious instruction.”
POLICE PERMISSION
In February, governing officials reportedly stated that they may stop recognizing episcopal appointments from the Vatican and instead begin appointing their own church leaders.
Christians told Worthy News that some Christian leaders have been required to report to the police every week for their sermons to be approved.
“Additionally, churches throughout the country are under surveillance from plainclothes officers as well as uniformed officials. It has been reported that around 14,000 governing agents were deployed to monitor churches this week in order to prevent Easter celebrations from taking place,” VOMC said.
One church member stated that although she “enjoys the Holy Week religious activities,” she is considering “not attending these services for fear of being “marked” by the government.”
VOMC told Worthy News that it had urged its supporters to “Pray that the message of Jesus’ death and glorious resurrection would be widely proclaimed throughout Nicaragua, despite the restrictions being imposed on the public celebrations of Easter.”
It also asked for prayers for a change of heart of political leaders and “for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters” this Easter season in Nicaragua.
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