Amid the fierce persecution against the Catholic Church by the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, exiled Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio Báez denounced the "false peace" that "dictators seek to impose through fear and weapons."
In the homily delivered during a Mass he celebrated on Sunday, April 12, at St. Agatha Church in Miami, Baez, who has been living in exile since 2019, warned that the wounds inflicted on the Nicaraguan people will remain but that "they will be scars healed by the love of God — wounds glorious forever, wounds of love destined for eternity. So too will be the wounds and sores of our people. One day, they will just be historical scars reminding us of a painful past of injustice and oppression, so that we may never repeat it," he underscored.
A message of hope
The Nicaraguan prelate reflected on the Gospel passage in which the risen Jesus shows his wounds so that the apostle Thomas may touch them and believe.
Báez affirmed that "just like the glorious wounds of Jesus, so too one day will be the wounds we endured as we alleviate and heal, with respect and mercy, the wounds of others."
"And those very wounds — scarred over yet eloquent — will spur us to build the future, acting as artisans of peace, ready to foster processes of healing and reconciliation with ingenuity and boldness," the prelate continued.
Báez denounces 'false peace'
The bishop also referred to the vigil for peace led by Pope Leo XIV on April 11 at the Vatican and pointed out that "peace is not merely the absence of war. Political systems that impose themselves upon people through terror, stripping them of their freedom, are enemies of peace."
"Even if they speak of peace, if they repress, control, imprison, and force people into exile, they are enemies of peace. For peace is not a mere balance of forces, nor is it synonymous with the tranquility of cemeteries. We must not grow accustomed to the false peace and deceptive normality that dictators seek to impose through fear and arms, solely to preserve their privileges," he continued.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Nicaraguan dictatorship has banned thousands of processions and public events during Lent and Holy Week, permitting only a few on the streets and always under police surveillance.
Currently, 309 religious including bishops, priests, and nuns have been forced to leave the country, while the regime has confiscated at least 39 properties belonging to the Catholic Church and has banned the ordination of priests in several dioceses.
A call to be builders of peace
The prelate emphasized that "we, the disciples of Jesus, having received his peace are called to be builders of true peace: a peace that springs from justice, is lived out in freedom, and bears the fruit of reconciliation."
The bishop expressed the hope "that the mercy of the Lord, welcomed into our hearts, may make us mature believers, earnest builders of peace in the world, and people capable of bending down with mercy [to heal] the wounds of our brothers and sisters."
"Our lives may not be easier, but they will be fuller, more vibrant, and more filled with light and love," he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
