San Juan, Puerto Rico — On the eve of the Sixth American Missionary Congress (CAM6), Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, retired Archbishop of Caracas, shared his reflections on the plight of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. In an interview at the Cathedral of San Juan on November 18, 2024, Cardinal Porras painted a sobering picture of a Church under siege yet unwavering in its faith.
Cardinal Porras is in Puerto Rico to participate in CAM6 on behalf of Pope Francis.
A Martyr Church
Cardinal Porras described the Nicaraguan Church as a “martyr Church,” enduring relentless persecution by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. “In moments like these, there is no doubt that the Church in Nicaragua is a martyr Church,” he said. “It is a Church being practically driven to disappear. We see only five bishops remaining, no pontifical representative, and a great number of priests and laity in exile.”
Despite this harsh reality, the cardinal highlighted the resilience of the faithful: “I receive news of how the faith of simple people remains strong, full of vigor. Of course, there is much fear and apprehension due to the repression and abuse of power, but that is precisely where discernment and creativity come into play, to ensure that we do not lose what little we have, which in reality is much: the grace of the Lord to create fraternity.”
Among the bishops forced into exile are Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, who was imprisoned before being sent to Vatican City in early 2024; Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera, president of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua, exiled to Guatemala; Bishop José Báez, who has taken refuge in Costa Rica; and Bishop Isidoro Mora of Siuna, now residing in Rome. The persecution escalated further with the declaration of Archbishop Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, the papal nuncio to Nicaragua, as persona non grata in 2022. His expulsion marked a significant rupture in diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Ortega-Murillo regime, deepening the isolation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.
A Call to Solidarity
Cardinal Porras urged the Universal Church to stand in solidarity with Nicaragua, emphasizing that its plight concerns the entire Catholic community. “For the universal Church and the Latin American Church, this cannot go unnoticed. Fraternity demands closeness—not only in prayer but in seeing how we can lend a hand, both to those who have left and to those who remain.”
Drawing parallels between Nicaragua and his native Venezuela, Cardinal Porras reflected on the shared challenges faced by their people under oppressive regimes that have similar ideologies. “We have followed Nicaragua closely because of the political affinity between our regimes,” he noted. “Certain behaviors are exalted as virtues when they are not. The voice of the people must be heard. Authority exists not to cling to power but to serve the people and their needs. When this doesn’t happen, it becomes delegitimized.”
Global Context of Oppression
The cardinal placed Nicaragua’s struggles within a broader global framework of injustice, linking them to issues in the Middle East, Africa, and the war between Russia and Ukraine. “We see these patterns repeating, in one way or another, in the changing political paradigms of today’s world. Progress cannot be achieved if there are a few powerful individuals and millions of slaves,” he warned.
The testimony of the Nicaraguan Church, in the face of such adversity, serves as a powerful witness of faith for the entire Catholic world. Cardinal Porras’s words resonate as a call to prayer, action, and solidarity with a Church that refuses to let its light be extinguished, even in the darkest times.
As CAM6 begins in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the plight of Nicaragua remains a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those on the frontlines of the Church’s mission.
