Managua, Nicaragua, Mar 20, 2007 / 08:50 am
Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes of Managua said this week there is no division among the bishops of Nicaragua and that the prelates share “a beautiful friendship, unity, and we see it in a permanent way in our work: our spiritual part is what is strong. Unity in faith and practice, which is what we are called to. There are other areas in which we may differ, but that does not mean we are divided.
The archbishop’s comments came as some in media claimed that disunity between the bishops led Cardinal Obando Bravo to accept an invitation from President Daniel Ortega to preside over a national reconciliation commission.
Archbishop Brenes said it was normal for there to be differences and he said he respected the personal decision of Cardinal Obando and that the Church exists “to serve and not to be served.”
For his part, Bishop Jorge Solorzano of Matagalpa expressed his support of Cardinal Obando and said, “I supported His Eminence because I know him. During all the recent governments, he has worked for reconciliation and peace, that is, this is nothing new and he wants to serve. He is a bishop emeritus and I know he is very capable and will do a good job.”