In the face of ongoing persecution against the Catholic Church by the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez has condemned the “false peace” imposed by dictators through fear and violence.
Celebrating Mass at St. Agatha Church in Miami on April 12, Bishop Báez, who has lived in exile since 2019, delivered a powerful message of hope. He declared that the wounds inflicted on the Nicaraguan people will one day become “scars healed by the love of God—glorious wounds forever, wounds of love destined for eternity.” He emphasized that these scars will serve as historical reminders of a painful past of injustice and oppression, ensuring it is never repeated.
A Message of Hope from the Wounds of Christ
Reflecting on the Gospel where the risen Jesus shows his wounds to Thomas, Bishop Báez drew a parallel. He affirmed that just as Christ’s wounds were glorified, so too will the wounds of the Nicaraguan people become a source of healing and a catalyst for building the future. “Those very wounds—scarred over yet eloquent—will spur us to build the future, acting as artisans of peace, ready to foster processes of healing and reconciliation with ingenuity and boldness,” he said.
Denouncing the ‘False Peace’ of Dictatorship
Referencing a recent Vatican vigil for peace, the bishop clarified that true peace is not merely the absence of war. He stated, “Political systems that impose themselves upon people through terror, stripping them of their freedom, are enemies of peace.” He warned against growing accustomed to the deceptive normality that oppressive regimes enforce through repression, control, imprisonment, and exile solely to preserve their power.
The context is severe: for the fourth consecutive year, the Nicaraguan dictatorship has banned most public Lenten and Holy Week events, allowing only a few under police surveillance. To date, the regime has forced 309 religious figures, including bishops, priests, and nuns, into exile, confiscated at least 39 Church properties, and banned priestly ordinations in several dioceses.
A Call to Be Builders of True Peace
Bishop Báez concluded with a call to action for all disciples of Jesus. Having received Christ’s peace, he said, they are called to be “builders of true peace: a peace that springs from justice, is lived out in freedom, and bears the fruit of reconciliation.” He expressed hope that God’s mercy would make believers mature, earnest peacebuilders, capable of tending to the wounds of others with compassion.
“Our lives may not be easier,” he acknowledged, “but they will be fuller, more vibrant, and more filled with light and love.”
