During the vibrant Feast of the Patron Saint of Matagalpa, Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Nicaraguan authorities shocked the community by arresting two priests.
By Vatican News
Startling reports from Nicaraguan media have confirmed the detainment of two prominent Vicars from the Diocese of Matagalpa: Msgr. Ulises René Vega Matamoros and Msgr. Edgard Sacasa.
The reasons behind their arrest and the exact location of their detainment remain shrouded in mystery.
It is deeply distressing to note that this same local Church was the same venue where Bishop Rolando Álvarez faced imprisonment in December 2023, only to be exiled in January 2024.
Series of Events Unfolding
According to sources, the two priests were apprehended on 1st August amidst the jovial celebrations of the Patron Saint of Managua, Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Monsignor Ulises Vega presides over the San Ramón church while Monsignor Edgar Sacasa leads the congregation at the San Isidro church.
Further aggravating the situation, on 26th August, the Administrator ‘Ad Omnia’ of the Diocese of Estelí, Monsignor Frutos Valle, faced a similar fate as he was arrested and transferred to the National Interdiocesan Seminary Nuestra Señora de Fátima in Managua, which has now been seized by the authorities for confining clergy.
Shockingly, it is believed that around 140 clergy and religious individuals have been compelled to flee the country since 2018 due to escalating persecution.
Furthermore, numerous Church organizations have been seized and stripped of their legal recognition in a series of oppressive actions.
