The Catholic bishop of Hinotega in Nicaragua, Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, has been exiled to Guatemala by the Nicaraguan authorities.
vatican city
Nicaragua, Friday, November 15, 2024 (Vatican News): Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, Catholic bishop of Hinotega in Nicaragua, has been exiled to Guatemala by Nicaraguan authorities.
Nicaraguan authorities have deported Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez of Hinotega to Guatemala, local media report. He is the third Catholic bishop dismissed by the Nicaraguan authorities.
Bishop Herrera Gutiérrez
Bishop Herrera Gutiérrez is 75 years old. He is currently Bishop of Hinotega and President of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua. Prior to this, Nicaraguan authorities had expelled two other Catholic bishops from the country, namely Bishop Ronaldo José Álvarez of Matagalpa, who was expelled on January 13 of this year, and Associate Bishop Silvio José Báez of Managua, who He was expelled in 2019. He was expelled in .
The reason for the exile of Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, 75, is his public criticism of the local authorities of Hinotega. During a mass at the Cathedral of San Juan Batista on Sunday, November 10, he expressed frustration at increasingly loud events organized by the local government that were disrupting religious services. In his sermon, he said, “What the mayor and all the local officials are doing is ungodly… We ask God’s forgiveness for them and for us.”
local media report
Local media reported that the Diocese of Hinotega’s social media had been deactivated prior to Bishop Herrera’s removal. The page was used to livestream Sunday masses, Thursday Eucharistic services, and other religious events. It was also reported that Nicaraguan authorities have now prohibited priests from entering public hospitals to anoint the sick.
Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his solidarity with the Church in Nicaragua and urged prayer for the people of this Central American nation.
