This week, Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez of the Diocese of Jinotega was exiled to Guatemala by the far-left regime of dictator Daniel Ortega. The 75-year-old prelate serves as President of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua and is the third bishop to be removed by Nicaraguan authorities this year.
Bishop Herrera had publicly criticized municipal authorities in Jinotega. On November 10, in his Sunday homily, he expressed his frustration over the noisy events that were frequently organized by the local government to disrupt religious services: “What the mayor and all the local authorities are doing is sacrilegious… We ask God’s forgiveness for them and for ourselves.” Prior to his removal, the Diocese’s official Facebook page, which was used to livestream Masses and other religious events, was taken down.
However, this was not the only attack on the Church by Ortega’s regime. Local media has reported that priests are now banned from entering public hospitals to administer the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to those who need it, causing great distress among patients and their families.
Click here to read the full story from Vatican News.