Ortega-Murillo regime bans ordination of priests in dioceses without bishops, deepening Nicaragua’s religious and pastoral crisis.
Newsroom (11/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has extended its control over Nicaragua’s Catholic Church by prohibiting priest and deacon ordinations in four dioceses currently without resident bishops. The decision intensifies an already dire pastoral crisis, compounding years of state hostility toward the faith community.
The affected dioceses—Jinotega, Siuna, Matagalpa, and Estelí—have all lost their bishops to exile under the current regime. Bishop Carlos Herrera of Jinotega, who also presides over the Episcopal Conference, was expelled in November 2024 after he condemned a pro-government mayor for disrupting a Mass with loud music. Months earlier, Herrera had quietly ordained one priest and seven deacons in Matagalpa, an act described by researcher and author Martha Patricia Molina as a “liturgical oasis” amid persecution.
Those bishops expelled before him include Rolando Álvarez, bishop of Matagalpa and apostolic administrator of Estelí, and Isidoro Mora of Siuna—both forced into exile in early 2024. Their absence has left a void that the Ortega regime now seeks to consolidate through bureaucratic and surveillance measures targeting the remaining clergy.
Fear, Surveillance, and Control
Three Nicaraguan priests now living in exile told ACI Prensa that the government’s influence over Church operations has grown far beyond ordinations. “The government is influencing the ordinations… and a bit more surveillance,” said one priest who requested anonymity. “The police are the ones who make all of that effective,” he added, noting the regime’s particular animosity toward Bishop Álvarez as the driving factor behind the restrictions.
Another priest warned that government agencies are trying to “supplant the bishops,” while some clergy, fearing greater repression, “do not fight to avoid complicating their lives.” The cost of silence, however, is steep: Matagalpa alone has seen at least 32 priests forced into exile.
Parishes Under Strain
In the dioceses without bishops, “surveillance is even more extreme,” explained another exiled priest. Authorities actively prevent visiting bishops from conducting ordinations or Masses. Despite these constraints, seminaries continue to produce candidates for priesthood. In Siuna, seven men who completed their training in 2025—and another group from the previous year—still await ordination.
Researcher Molina calls the situation “alarming.” With Matagalpa operating at only 30% of its former clerical capacity, she estimates that seven in ten priests have been exiled or banished. Jinotega and Estelí, she adds, have suffered up to 50% losses. The result is fewer Masses, reduced sacramental presence, and isolated communities. “Without a replacement for the priests who have been exiled, expelled, or died, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua faces the real possibility of a progressive closure of parishes,” she warned.
Political Boundaries and Religious Barriers
Dioceses with bishops still present—Managua, León, Juigalpa, Granada, and Bluefields—continue ordinations, albeit cautiously. In December 2025, Juigalpa ordained three deacons; Bluefields followed with two in January 2026. Managua remains an active center for new clergy, ordaining multiple deacons and priests last year.
“The difference is not procedural but political,” explained one of the exiled priests. Although episcopal authorization can be granted remotely, the Nicaraguan government interprets such permissions from exiled bishops as “an intrusion into their sovereignty.” This stance effectively blocks ordinations in the four leaderless dioceses, further isolating the Church.
Vocations Endure Despite Persecution
Remarkably, priestly vocations persist. All three exiled priests affirmed that despite state intimidation, new aspirants to the priesthood continue to emerge. “The Lord continues to raise up brave young people who listen to him,” said one. Some ordinations even occur quietly abroad—such as two Nicaraguans ordained secretly in Costa Rica earlier this year to avoid retaliation.
“The Church has found ways to endure,” another priest added. “Obstacles are not a problem but rather a cross that the Church bravely embraces… It continues to evangelize.”
“Crucified, but Not Immobilized”
Since the civil unrest of 2018, religious suppression in Nicaragua has intensified steadily—raids on churches, arrests of priests, and forced exiles have become routine. Yet many within the Church see these ordeals as a test of faith. One priest reflected, “The Church in Nicaragua is crucified but not immobilized. The cross continues to bear even more fruit because the Church is not static—it is in motion.”
Even as the Ortega-Murillo government tightens its grip, the Church’s quiet defiance endures. The faithful continue to gather, pray, and train future priests, keeping alive a tradition that no political decree has yet extinguished.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACi Prensa
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