Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega has banned traditional public processions of the Way of the Cross during the Lenten season.
The move escalates his crackdown on the country’s Catholic Church and political opponents.
The Nicaraguan government has prohibited the processions from being held in public venues, with the ritual to be conducted only inside churches on Good Friday and during Lent.
The ban is the latest in a series of moves against the Nicaraguan Church.
Tensions between the Sandinista regime and the Catholic Church have escalated.
Ortega accuses the Catholic hierarchy of supporting former dictator Somoza and accusing the Church of committing “grave crimes and horrors”.
In his speech, Ortega also accused the Vatican of being a “mafia organisation.”
He suggested that the people should elect priests and bishops, and even the Pope, rather than having them appointed by the Vatican.
The ban on public processions has sparked outrage among the Nicaraguan Catholic community, who view the Way of the Cross as an essential expression of their faith and a symbol of their resistance to the regime.
Many have taken to social media to voice their opposition to the ban, with some calling it a violation of their religious freedom.
The ban has also drawn criticism from international human rights organisations and other countries, with the US government expressing concern about the situation in Nicaragua and calling for the release of political prisoners.
The Nicaraguan Church has been a vocal critic of Ortega’s regime, calling for free and fair elections and denouncing the government’s human rights abuses.
The government, in turn, has accused the Church of supporting opposition groups and fomenting unrest.
The ban on public processions is just the latest example of the government’s efforts to silence the Church and opposition groups.
How the Nicaraguan people will respond to this latest provocation remains to be seen.
Sources
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