Bishops of Nicaragua: Without God, things become more important than persons

Managua, Nicaragua, Nov 21, 2004 / 22:00 pm

The Bishops Conference of Nicaragua called on the faithful last week to draw closer to God, because when the Lord “is not in the hearts of men, things begin to become more important that persons.”

In a statement released after the annual meeting, the bishops invited the country to seek in the Blessed Mother the necessary support “to victoriously face the struggle against selfishness” and thus overcome the problems plaguing the nation.

The statement was signed by Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata, General Secretary of the Bishops Conference, and was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

In the statement, the bishops state that sometimes “some communications media” lose their objectivity and take “the side of people who are defending their own interests.”

Bishop Leopoldo Jose Brenes of Matagalpa expressed his dismay that documents of the Church are sometimes manipulated and distorted.  He called for objective reporting of Church statements.

Bishop Brenes added, “We are all witnesses to the extreme poverty” in the country, and he insisted on the necessity of a dialogue that would help resolve the situation.  “The bishops are always calling for dialogue and you were witnesses of this during the municipal elections, when all of the bishops called for dialogue and unity,” he said.