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(THE FEDERALIST) – In times of distress, people look to their leaders, seeking beacons of courage and fidelity to the truth. Such is the legacy of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, a Roman Catholic priest who stood in staunch, but peaceful, opposition to the communist regime in Poland. Father Jerzy, celebrated by the Polish people on Oct. 19, is in the process of being recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church for his witness to truth.
While perhaps not immediately visible, similar stories of faith under fire are happening across the globe today. In situations of acute persecution, the human spirit is resilient, and leaders rise up to be standard-bearers of truth. In Nicaragua, the state of persecution is dire. The country has been in a state of turmoil since April 2018 with the eruption of civil unrest against the repressive Ortega regime. The regime, intent on suppressing all challenging authorities, has set its sights on the Catholic Church in the form of attacks on religious leaders, religious orders, and places of worship, in addition to Catholic institutions and media outlets.
Reminiscent of Father Jerzy, who often called the faithful to peaceful dissent in his Sunday sermons, Bishop Rolando Álvarez felt the duty as a Catholic pastor to denounce the actions of the Ortega regime. Over the last few years, the bishop has risen to prominence for his consistent witness to the inviolable nature of human dignity in light of the regime’s repression, which often took the form of sermons to church congregants eager to hear a message of hope and truth.
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