The Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach of the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, Texas. / Credit: Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity Discalced Carmelite Nuns
CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2024 / 16:45 pm (CNA).
The Vatican has supp… […]
Attendees including workers of reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral gather during a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron (center) in the nave of the cathedral in Paris on Nov. 29, 2024. / Credit: CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/POOL/AFP… […]
The Holy Father’s Dec. 2, 2024, letter to Catholics in Nicaragua comes at a critical time for the country. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, Dec 2, 2024 / 15:45 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis has written a moving letter to Catholics in Nicaragua to express his closeness, affection, and incessant prayer to the Virgin, imploring her consolation in the midst of the persecution of the faith that the country is suffering under the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.
In the context of the novena prior to the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Father wrote a Dec. 2 pastoral letter to the “beloved Church in Nicaragua.”
The pontiff professed the affection he has for the Nicaraguan people, distinguished by their “extraordinary love for God,” whom they affectionately call “Papachú.”
“I am with you,” the Holy Father assured, encouraging the faithful to trust in Providence, “the only sure guide,” especially in the most difficult moments, when humanly “it becomes impossible to understand what God wants of us.” In these circumstances, he reminded, “we are called not to doubt his care and mercy.”
Pope Francis emphasized that trust in God and fidelity to the Church are “two great beacons” that illuminate their lives. “Be assured that faith and hope work miracles,” he said.
He also invited them to turn their gaze to the Immaculate Virgin, referring to the title of his letter: “Who causes so much joy? The Conception of Mary!” This popular expression marks the celebration of “La Gritería,” a Nicaraguan tradition that fills churches every Dec. 7 in honor of the Mother of God.
The pontiff expressed his hope that this celebration will be a source of encouragement “in difficulties, uncertainties, and deprivations” and urged the faithful to abandon themselves into the arms of Jesus with the prayer “God first.”
“I want to really emphasize that the Mother of God unceasingly intercedes for you, and we continually ask Jesus to always hold you by his hand,” the Holy Father added.
He also encouraged the faithful to pray the “powerful prayer” of the rosary, where the mysteries “make their way through the intimacy of our hearts, where the freedom of the daughters and sons of God finds shelter, which no one can take away from us.”
Finally, he entrusted the people of Nicaragua to the protection of the Immaculate Conception and concluded with “that simple cry expressed with profound trust: ‘Mary belongs to Nicaragua, Nicaragua belongs to Mary.’ So be it!”
The Holy Father’s letter comes at a critical time for Nicaragua, shortly after the National Assembly approved a constitutional reform proposed by the dictatorship by which Ortega and Murillo will henceforth be “co-presidents” and will officially have total control of the government.
Among the most controversial measures is a provision that requires that “religious organizations must remain free of all foreign control.”
For years, the Ortega regime has intensified a systematic persecution against all expressions of faith in the country. Lay faithful, priests, and bishops are constantly monitored, persecuted, abducted, and even imprisoned in deplorable conditions.
Numerous members of the clergy have been deported from the country and stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, leaving them stateless, as is the case of the bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, who was exiled to Rome in January along with another bishop, 15 priests, and two seminarians.
Under the socialist regime, Catholics have been silenced and public expressions of faith, such as prayers for the persecuted or pastoral and spiritual activities, are strictly prohibited.
From 2018 to 2024, 870 attacks against the Catholic Church have been recorded in Nicaragua, according to the report “Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?”, which documents how serious the crisis is.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
null / Credit: PeopleImages.com/Yuri A/Shutterstock
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Christmas tree and Nativity scene in Faraya’s Public Square, a town in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, in November 2024. / Credit: Municipality of Faraya
ACI MENA, Dec 2, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).
A gun was placed near a Nativity scene on Nov. 23 in the town of Faraya in the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon in the country of Lebanon, sparking outrage among locals.
Residents gathered in the town square ringing the church bells in protest. Security forces have been assisting in efforts to calm the tensions.
The vandals acted at night, removing the statue of the Baby Jesus and leaving a handgun nearby.
Keserwan District is reputed to be the stronghold of Lebanon’s Maronite Catholics. It is home to significant landmarks such as the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa and the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke.
Many see the act as an attempt to wreak havoc during the Advent season in a country currently hosting a large number of displaced people from war-torn regions. Others are awaiting the results of the investigation, according to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner.
Regardless of the motives behind the act, the incident provoked widespread anger.
Father Charbel Salameh, a parish priest, joined residents in the town square condemning the vandalism and reassuring locals at the same time.
In a brief video, he said: “We will remain vigilant in protecting our village. We hold on to preserving our unity and harmony, for the Lord brings us together. Perhaps this is an opportunity for all of us to gather here and pray in front of this Nativity scene for those trying to sow discord.”
He continued: “Let us not jump to conclusions: May God forgive those attempting to destabilize us. We are here to stay — this is our land, and this is our area. As children of the Church, we pray for whoever committed this act to understand that our sacred places cannot be easily violated.”
“What happened calls for great awareness because impulsiveness can harm us in circumstances as such. We pray that the Lord Jesus brings peace to the hearts and minds of the people and our country, Lebanon, in these difficult times,” he said.
Following the incident, Salameh replaced the missing statue of the Baby Jesus with another one from St. Charbel Church to temporarily fill the void. Security forces arrived on the scene, cordoned off the area, and launched investigations to analyze the circumstances and identify the perpetrators.
The Municipality of Faraya clarified the circumstances of the incident in a statement:
“On Saturday, at 6 p.m., a citizen was taking photos of his grandchildren in front of the Nativity scene in the town square. Surprisingly, the children found a handgun lying on the ground. The man informed nearby shopkeepers. A municipal officer arrived at the square, inspected the site, and contacted security forces, who arrived promptly.”
The statement continued: “Upon investigation, the statue of Baby Jesus was found outside the Nativity scene, among nearby trees. Security forces confiscated the gun and began their investigation, concluding that the statue was not in the manger at the time children were taking photos. This proves that the incident occurred before the children and their grandfather arrived. The photos of the children in question confirm those allegations.”
“In light of these events, the Municipality of Faraya urges the residents and all inhabitants to remain united in brotherhood and love, as has always been the case. Faraya has long been a symbol of coexistence and a model for promoting peace, security, and hospitality,” the statement concludes.
Last year, a series of attacks on Christmas symbols in Lebanon occurred, particularly in the northern region of Tripoli, home to an active Christian minority. These attacks ranged from dousing a tree with gasoline at St. George’s Church in Mina to throwing a Molotov cocktail at another tree in St. George’s Church square in Zaheriyah.
At the time, these unprecedented acts in the culturally and religiously diverse city were met with widespread condemnation from political, religious, and social leaders of various affiliations.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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