Bishop Silvio Báez denounces dictatorships that use the name of Jesus to maintain power

What is Bishop Silvio Báez’s main criticism of authoritarian regimes?

The bishop claims that worn-out dictatorships use religion as a hypocritical mask. According to him, these governments invoke the name of Jesus to justify authoritarianism and domination over the population, but avoid talking about the cross. For Báez, the figure of a messiah who serves, humbles himself and gives his life for others is a threat to the powerful, as it unmasks the arrogance of those who wish to remain in command forever. He reinforces that it is not possible to profess the Christian faith without following the path of humility and real sacrifice in favor of the victims and the poorest.

How has the Catholic Church been treated by the Nicaraguan government?

The Church has faced relentless persecution in the country since 2018. The Ortega-Murillo regime has adopted severe measures, such as the expulsion of nuns, strict control over priests and the ban on new ordinations. Furthermore, the government confiscated ecclesiastical funds and properties and forced the exile of important leaders, such as Báez himself and Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutiérrez, president of the Episcopal Conference. This repression intensified after the Church defended protesters in 2018, in a conflict that resulted in hundreds of deaths according to international bodies.

What does the concept of taking up the cross mean in the current context?

For the bishop, taking up the cross goes far beyond accepting casual suffering; It is a conscious life choice. It means overcoming the fear of love and becoming vulnerable to restore the dignity of those who suffer. In the political and social context, he explains that this involves entering the world of victims to share their anguish. It is an act of resistance against systems based on lies and injustice. He highlights that, in societies where the powerful create laws based on whims, those who seek justice end up being targets of slander, persecution and attempts to silence them.

Why does the prelate compare certain attitudes with Peter’s thoughts?

Báez uses the biblical figure of Peter to illustrate those who prefer comfort over sacrifice. He explains that we think like Peter when we don’t accept that sometimes the solution requires forgetting ourselves and being last. This is reflected in those who consider it imprudent to report abuses of power, preferring silence or agreements with oppressors so as not to complicate their own lives. The bishop argues that real changes in society only happen when one chooses the path of smallness and personal sacrifice, placing God and the well-being of others above one’s own interests.