SW News: In what seemed to be an action to oppress the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, the police force of the Ortega regime compelled a priest to celebrate Holy Mass outside his parochial church. The parochial vicar of the Santa Lucia Church of Matagalpa Diocese was forced to preside over the Holy Mass with the faithful behind the fencing.

According to an anonymous witness, on Tuesday, August 16, a group of police officers came to the Santa Lucia church searching for the parish priest Fr Vicente Martin. However, to protect the parish priest from the police, parochial vicar Fr Sebastian Lopez informed them that the priest was out of town. Then the police stood outside the church waiting for the priest. The witness also stated that the police were present there until the afternoon.

When the bell rang for Mass people started arriving. Fr Lopez decided not to open the gates and let believers in lest the officers too come inside and apprehend the priest they were looking for. Fr Lopez then decided to celebrate Mass outside. He improvised a table and converted it into a table and offered Mass facing believers who stood outside the fencing. The witness stated, "There were a lot of people crying, a lot of people praying. Many said you are not alone." Without opening the gates, the priest also distributed Communion through the gap in the fence.

The crackdown on the church by the anti-Catholic government has intensified in recent weeks. The latest incident comes days after the Ortega regime forcefully banned a procession of Our Lady of Fatima.

The decision to implement social security reforms in 2018 worsened relations between the Catholic Church and Daniel Ortega's government in Nicaragua. To silence the opposing voices of the Church, Ortega's administration ordered the closure of seven Catholic radio stations recently.

The government also ordered an investigation into Bishop Rolando Alvarez Lagos of Matagalpa, who strongly denounced the corruption of the government. The prelate is kept under house arrest alongside clerics and lay people. Bishop Lagos has been charged with conspiracy and incitement of violence.

Earlier this year, 18 nuns of the Missionaries of Charity congregation were expelled from the country after declining their legal status.