The Nicaraguan dictatorship has once again detained Bishop Emeritus Abelardo Mata, the 80-year-old bishop emeritus of Estelí, just one day after his initial detention and release. According to reports, he was arrested at a medical clinic where he was undergoing a checkup for his pacemaker and is now under house arrest in the town of Tisma.
The bishop’s arrest occurred shortly after he celebrated a Mass on June 28 in which he prayed for the persecuted Church in Nicaragua, a move that likely angered the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. Alongside Bishop Mata, Father Francisco Morales and Deacon Wilfred Arauz Rodríguez were also briefly detained but later released under conditions.
Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church,” explained that Bishop Mata holds no administrative responsibilities in the Diocese of Estelí but continues to assist with pastoral needs. However, the Sandinista dictatorship has prohibited him from being in the department of Estelí. Molina highlighted that the Diocese of Estelí has been a target of repression due to the regime’s hatred of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez, the apostolic administrator currently living in exile in Rome after being sentenced to 26 years in prison.
The situation in Estelí is worsening, with the dictatorship banning diaconal and priestly ordinations in that diocese, as well as in Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Siuna. None of these dioceses have their bishops present, as they have all been exiled. Molina noted that the Church in Estelí operates with only 42% of its clergy, placing a heavy burden on active priests.
Arturo McFields, Nicaragua’s former ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), expressed concern for Bishop Mata’s health, stating, “We have to remain vigilant regarding Bishop Mata because his health is fragile and requires professional care. What worries me is that the last individuals who have been under surveillance by the dictatorship or the police have ended up in worse condition or even dead.”
Félix Maradiaga, president of the Freedom for Nicaragua Foundation, called for the international community to demand the immediate release of Bishop Mata and all arbitrarily detained clergy. “Nicaragua cannot normalize a dictatorship imprisoning priests, silencing pulpits, and persecuting the faith. The moral voice of the Church has historically stood with the Nicaraguan people during their most difficult times, and that is precisely why the regime seeks to intimidate it,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa and has been adapted by EWTN News.
