Another Catholic priest is arrested in Nicaragua.
The religious was arrested on Sunday, July 9th, at night after participating in a Mass in the San Luis Gonzaga parish, in Managua.
The Nicaraguan priest, Fr. Fernando Israel Zamora Silva, chancellor of the diocese of Siuna, in the Nicaraguan Caribbean, was detained by agents of the National Police, amid tensions between the government of President Daniel Ortega and the Catholic Church.
The arrest occurred after mass in the San Luis Gonzaga parish, in Managua, presided over by the Nicaraguan cardinal, Leopoldo Brenes, sources from the Nicaraguan Catholic Church told EFE on Monday.
At the Eucharist, the priest, Fr. Edgard RodrĂguez became head of that parish, and the arrested priest was one of the guests.
The National Police have neither confirmed nor denied the alleged arrest of the priest.
The Nicaraguan Freedom Foundation, chaired by the released and denationalized opposition leader FĂ©lix Maradiaga, took note of the the priest's detention and demanded his release.
"From the Foundation for the Freedom of Nicaragua we call on the international community to address this serious situation of persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and request international attention," said the organization.
The religious, with 27 years of priestly life, becomes the seventh priest arrested by the National Police, including the Nicaraguan bishop Rolando Ălvarez, who was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison for "treason against the homeland."
Relations between the Ortega Government and the Catholic Church have been experiencing great tension, marked by the expulsion and imprisonment of priests, the prohibition of certain religious activities, and the suspension of their diplomatic relations.
The Nicaraguan priest, Fr. Fernando Israel Zamora Silva, chancellor of the diocese of Siuna, in the Nicaraguan Caribbean, was detained by agents of the National Police, amid tensions between the government of President Daniel Ortega and the Catholic Church.
The arrest occurred after mass in the San Luis Gonzaga parish, in Managua, presided over by the Nicaraguan cardinal, Leopoldo Brenes, sources from the Nicaraguan Catholic Church told EFE on Monday.
At the Eucharist, the priest, Fr. Edgard RodrĂguez became head of that parish, and the arrested priest was one of the guests.
The National Police have neither confirmed nor denied the alleged arrest of the priest.
The Nicaraguan Freedom Foundation, chaired by the released and denationalized opposition leader FĂ©lix Maradiaga, took note of the the priest's detention and demanded his release.
"From the Foundation for the Freedom of Nicaragua we call on the international community to address this serious situation of persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and request international attention," said the organization.
The religious, with 27 years of priestly life, becomes the seventh priest arrested by the National Police, including the Nicaraguan bishop Rolando Ălvarez, who was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison for "treason against the homeland."
Relations between the Ortega Government and the Catholic Church have been experiencing great tension, marked by the expulsion and imprisonment of priests, the prohibition of certain religious activities, and the suspension of their diplomatic relations.
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