Nicaragua's Government Confiscates Major Seminary of Philosophy Amid Growing Persecution of the Catholic Church
The Nicaraguan Regime occupies the Saint Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy in Matagalpa
The Police and the PGR came to take over the property of the Diocese of Matagalpa
The Saint Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy was taken over by the Police and the PGR.
At least 30 seminarians were evicted from the San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy, southeast of the city of Matagalpa, by orders of the Police and officials of the Attorney General's Office, who on the afternoon of Monday, January 20, took over that property of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
Various sources, who demand anonymity for fear of reprisals, agree that the seminarians from the Dioceses of Matagalpa and Siuna were sent home and that at the moment they do not know if there are any people detained.
The seizure of the San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy is added to the seizure of the La Cartuja Diocesan Pastoral Center, five kilometers north of the city of Matagalpa, taken by the Police and the PGR on the afternoon of Thursday, January 16. In addition, since August 19, 2022, the Police have occupied the Episcopal Residence, in the heart of the city.
The three are costly assets of the Diocese of Matagalpa, the hardest hit by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who imprisoned and then banished the bishop, Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez Lagos. In addition, almost half of the diocesan clergy are out of the country due to banishment, forced exile, expulsion or impediments to return to the country after going abroad for different reasons.
This was announced by lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report Nicaragua, a persecuted Church, in which she denounces the systematic attacks of the Ortega Murillo regime on the Church, in addition to what happened with the Seminary, on her social networks denounced that since this Sunday it has increased surveillance of the priests of the Diocese.
“The training house is the heart of the Diocese, the dictatorship intends to completely stop priestly formation. Their objective remains the same: TO ANNIHILATE AND DISAPPEAR the Diocese of Matagalpa, they have also increased since yesterday the surveillance of priests of the Diocese,” wrote Molina.
The San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy also brought together seminarians from the Diocese of Siuna. In 2022, there were 49 seminarians: 29 from the Diocese of Matagalpa and another 20 from the Diocese of Siuna.
The bishop of Siuna, Monsignor Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, originally from Terrabona, Matagalpa, was imprisoned because in December 2023 he presided over the mass for the 99th anniversary of the Diocese of Matagalpa, in the San Pedro Apóstol cathedral, where he said that the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua maintained its prayers for Monsignor Álvarez, who was imprisoned at the time, and that Matagalpa was a “seedbed of vocations”.
Bishops Mora and Álvarez were banished and sent to Rome along with 15 priests and two seminarians, on January 13, 2024.
The Police and the PGR came to take over the property of the Diocese of Matagalpa
The Saint Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy was taken over by the Police and the PGR.
At least 30 seminarians were evicted from the San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy, southeast of the city of Matagalpa, by orders of the Police and officials of the Attorney General's Office, who on the afternoon of Monday, January 20, took over that property of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
Various sources, who demand anonymity for fear of reprisals, agree that the seminarians from the Dioceses of Matagalpa and Siuna were sent home and that at the moment they do not know if there are any people detained.
The seizure of the San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy is added to the seizure of the La Cartuja Diocesan Pastoral Center, five kilometers north of the city of Matagalpa, taken by the Police and the PGR on the afternoon of Thursday, January 16. In addition, since August 19, 2022, the Police have occupied the Episcopal Residence, in the heart of the city.
The three are costly assets of the Diocese of Matagalpa, the hardest hit by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who imprisoned and then banished the bishop, Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez Lagos. In addition, almost half of the diocesan clergy are out of the country due to banishment, forced exile, expulsion or impediments to return to the country after going abroad for different reasons.
This was announced by lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report Nicaragua, a persecuted Church, in which she denounces the systematic attacks of the Ortega Murillo regime on the Church, in addition to what happened with the Seminary, on her social networks denounced that since this Sunday it has increased surveillance of the priests of the Diocese.
“The training house is the heart of the Diocese, the dictatorship intends to completely stop priestly formation. Their objective remains the same: TO ANNIHILATE AND DISAPPEAR the Diocese of Matagalpa, they have also increased since yesterday the surveillance of priests of the Diocese,” wrote Molina.
The San Luis Gonzaga Major Seminary of Philosophy also brought together seminarians from the Diocese of Siuna. In 2022, there were 49 seminarians: 29 from the Diocese of Matagalpa and another 20 from the Diocese of Siuna.
The bishop of Siuna, Monsignor Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, originally from Terrabona, Matagalpa, was imprisoned because in December 2023 he presided over the mass for the 99th anniversary of the Diocese of Matagalpa, in the San Pedro Apóstol cathedral, where he said that the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua maintained its prayers for Monsignor Álvarez, who was imprisoned at the time, and that Matagalpa was a “seedbed of vocations”.
Bishops Mora and Álvarez were banished and sent to Rome along with 15 priests and two seminarians, on January 13, 2024.
Sources: https://mosaicocsi.com/2025/01/20/regimen-ocupa-el-seminario-mayor-de-filosofia-san-luis-gonzaga-en-matagalpa/#google_vignette
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