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… Selser … The Associated Press … The Vatican said March 18 it had closed its embassy in Nicaragua after the country's government proposed suspending diplomatic relations, the latest … the Nicaraguan government proposed suspending relations with the Holy See, and a year after Nicaragua forced the papal ambassador at the time to leave. It's not clear what more the proposed … including from the Missionaries of Charity order founded by Mother Teresa, were expelled from Nicaragua last year. Prominent Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in …

… NCR Editorial Staff … Earlier this month, more than 200 imprisoned critics of Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega were released, stripped of their citizenship and deported to … deportations of the churchmen are just part of growing persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua over the past two years. Government forces routinely harass clergy and worshippers, … for an end to this oppression, which is part of broader assaults on basic democratic rights in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan prisoners tell stories of sham trials, appropriation of their property, …

… Liz Chandler … OSV News … Two Catholic priests imprisoned in Nicaragua since August arrived in Charlotte late Feb. 12 to hugs and tears from family and … to the United States Feb. 9. Frs. Ramiro Tijerino and Óscar Danilo Benavidez, both of Nicaragua, were among 222 political prisoners exiled from the country by President Daniel Ortega. … me, and I hope we will remember and continue to bring strength to the prisoners who remain in Nicaragua." …

… Justin McLellan … Catholic News Service … Just days after Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, was sentenced to 26 years in prison, Pope Francis expressed concern over his … Angelus in St. Peter's Square Feb. 12, the pope said he was "pained" by the news coming out of Nicaragua and recalled "with concern" the situation of Álvarez, who had been arrested in August … overthrow him. In his comments the pope also noted the 222 political prisoners deported from Nicaragua to the United States Feb. 9, a group which included five priests, a deacon, two …

… OSV News … Nicaragua has released more than 200 political prisoners, including Catholic priests, students, … for the release of political prisoners but cited a Biden administration official saying Nicaragua hoped to improve relations between the two countries. "The release of these … citizenship. Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Baez tweeted Feb. 9: "It gives me deep joy that Nicaragua’s political prisoners are out of prison. I have thanks to God for them! They never …

… in a statement Feb. 7. Álvarez, the bishop, had been a key religious voice in discussions of Nicaragua’s future since 2018, when a wave of protests against Ortega’s government led to a … on opponents. On Feb. 5, Fr. Óscar Danilo Benavidez, a priest in Mulukuku in northern Nicaragua, was sentenced for conspiracy and spreading false information. He had been arrested …

… The human rights lawyer said he also intended to discuss Christian persecution in Nigeria, Nicaragua, Egypt and Cuba with the Vatican, but the conversation stayed focused on China. Turkel …

… guarantees, and initiate a process of restoring the democratic order and the rule of law in Nicaragua."  As reported by several outlets, including Catholic News Service, Álvarez came under … taken away by police Aug. 19 during a 3 a.m. raid. He was charged with conspiracy in December. Nicaragua began its most recent political and economic upheaval in 2018. According to an earlier … rhetorical, and institutional aggression and intimidation against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua," he said in the December statement. In 2022, the Nicaraguan government closed Catholic …

… number of migrants fleeing political oppression and gang violence in Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua and Cuba," according to the White House. Biden's visit -- which lasted a few hours -- … February. Under an expansion of Title 42 under Biden, the rule bars migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from entering the U.S. while providing some legal paths for them to seek …

… warrant was also issued for a priest, the Rev. Uriel Vallejos, who had already reportedly left Nicaragua. The move Dec. 13 was the latest chapter in a crackdown on the church by the … which expelled the nuns from Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity religious order. In March, Nicaragua expelled the papal nuncio, the Vatican’s top diplomat in Nicaragua. Álvarez has been under house arrest since August. He had been a key religious voice in discussions of Nicaragua’s future since 2018, when a wave of protests against Ortega’s government led to a …

… in five countries in Central America and the Caribbean: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti." For all the economic challenges we faced in the United States, we …

… but as a guide for action in the coming years, said Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes of Managua, Nicaragua, and CELAM's second vice president. "This isn't just another document," he said, adding …