EXTENSIONS of REMARKS April 30, 1986 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS SANDINISTAS DENY RELIGIOUS Miguel Obando Y Bravo
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9148 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 30, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS SANDINISTAS DENY RELIGIOUS Miguel Obando y Bravo ... You may be The government supports a front-organi FREEDOM TO THE NICARA sure that these attacks are an offense zation "Peoples Church" that actively pro GUAN PEOPLE AND PERSE against the Christian sentiments of the motes Marxism-Leninism. The "Peoples CUTE ROMAN CATHOLICS IN great majority of the Nicaraguan people Church" blasphemous symbol is a crucified Christ imposed on a Sandinista guerrilla NICARAGUA Since that letter was written, the situation waving a Soviet AK-47 rifle. The "Peoples has gotten even worse. Church" is largely ignored by Nicaraguan HON. JACK F. KEMP The Sandinistas' most intense anti-Catho Catholics, and has minuscule support from OF NEW YORK lic efforts have been directed against the the clergy. Of the approximately 880 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Church's leaders. The regime's goal has priests, nuns, and monks in the country, been to undercut popular support for the fewer than 40 are loyal to this "Church," Wednesday, April 30, 1986 Catholic bishops through vicious propagan and of those 40, all but 10 are foreign mis Mr. KEMP. Mr. Speaker, recently 22 of our da portraying them as "counterrevolution sionaries. colleagues, led by Congressman HENRY aries" and "enemies of the people." Cardi Despite this grim record, the Sandinista nal Obando has been labelled as the "anti regime has waged a successful disinforma HYDE, circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter Christ" and accused of "collaborating" with tion campaign that has convinced many calling the attention of the Members to the ac the Somoza government-of which he was a American Catholic bishops, the United tions of the Marxist-Leninist Sandinista regime harsh critic. The Cardinal has also been at States Catholic Conference, and various in Nicaragua in denying religious freedom to tacked by Sandinista mobs and military other religious groups that reports of reli Nicaraguans of all faiths. A particular target forces while in his car; his celebrations of gious persecution in Nicaragua are exagger for persecution, however, is the Roman the Mass have been disrupted; open-air as ated. Yet two senior American Catholic Catholic Church, to which 85 percent of the semblies have been forbidden; and his chan leaders cut through this fog of propaganda Nicaraguan people belong. The following cery office raided, plundered, and occupied. last month. The following letter from New letter details some of the actions that have Managua Auxiliary Bishop Bosco Vivas was York Cardinal John O'Connor and Boston seriously beaten by Sandinista mobs in 1982. Cardinal Bernard Law to Cardinal Obando been taken against the Catholic Church and This attack against the Nicaraguan bish speaks for all those American Catholics who its leaders by the Sandinistas, and reminds us ops has extended to Pope John Paul II. want to stand in solidarity with their perse that religious liberty is the most basic of During his 1983 visit to Nicaragua, govern cuted Nicaraguan brothers and sisters: human rights: ment-supported mobs disrupted his celebra "Your Eminence: the present trials CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, tion of the Mass by chanting revolutionary through which you and the Church in Nica HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, slogans. The regime arranged the Mass to ragua are suffering are a poignant reminder Washington, DC, April10, 1986. be said before huge pictures of Sandinista that the mystery of the Cross continues to DEAR COLLEAGUE: Few of us doubt any leaders-a blatant attempt to portray the be lived in the Body of Christ. During this longer that the Sandinista leadership of Pope as a supporter of their movement. Lent, your two brother bishops in the Nicaragua is Marxist-Leninist and that it Cardinal Obando's aides have also been at United States, who were called to member has waged a steady campaign of repression tacked. In one incident, Fr. Bismark Car ship in the College of Cardinals with you against virtually all sectors of society. Last ballo, the Archdiocesan spokesman, was the last May, have often thought of you and dis October, the Sandinistas formally suspend victim of a Sandinista plot to frame him as cussed the courageous efforts you make for ed a wide range of fundamental civil rights. an adulterer. Arriving at a house where a the well-being of the Church and the people Religious freedom was their primary target. woman was allegedly considering suicide, of Nicaragua. We have taken the extraordi Yet many courageous Nicaraguans contin Carballo was beaten by government troops nary step of making this letter public so ue to worship openly, and remain loyal to which ordered him to strip, and dragged that the faithful in our archdioceses and as those religious leaders whose commitment him naked and bleeding outside the house many as possible in our country will know to moral principles has led them to confront to a waiting crowd of 70 people-including what is actually happening to their brothers the regime. Sandinista journalists and television cam and sisters in Nicaragua. All faiths have suffered under the Sandi eras who reported that Carballo had been We share your deep pain when your nistas. The National Director of the Anti beaten by the woman's "husband." people are denied full opportunity to build a Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, Nathan The Sandinistas have deported missionary just, peaceful and progressive society based Perlmutter, has written recently that being priests loyal to the bishops, and have draft on the transcendent dignity of each human Jewish is dangerous in a Nicaragua whose ed seminarians into the army. person. We know your suffering when at leaders indulge in blatant and crude anti The laity are attacked with depressing fre tempts are made to violate the religious con Semitism. Evangelical congregations have quency. Armed Sandinista mobs have science of Nicaraguans by denying them been harassed, and their leaders tortured, stormed Churches during Mass and savagely access to the liberating teachings of the and murdered. But no group has suffered beaten parishioners. These mobs have also Church. This has been done by physical persecution on as great a scale as the attacked participants in religious proces harassment, crude attempts at intimidation, Roman Catholic Church, to which 85 per sions. In one particularly gruesome incident, and censorship. Priests have been summari cent of the Nicaraguan people belong. the president of the Catholic Parents ly expelled from your country. Offices of In a November, 1985, letter to prominent School Association, Sofonias Cisneros, was your archdiocese have been raided by mili American Catholic bishops, the Permanent abducted by the secret police, interrogated tary personnel and remain under Inilitary Commission on Human Rights of Nicaragua for many hours, then tortured and dumped, occupation. The archdiocesan newspaper, described the situation many Catholics are naked and unconscious, on a deserted road. Iglesia, was confiscated after its first edi forced to endure: His "crime" was complaining about Marxist tion, and the Catholic radio remains closed. "Like no other epoch we have seen in the Leninist indoctrination in Catholic schools. You are subjected to a barrage of distor history of our country, the Catholic Church The Sandinistas have worked to cut off tions, slanderous insults and innuendo at has been the victim of direct attacks, plots, communications between the laity and home and by some representatives of the calumnies, explosions, and arrests of priests church leaders. They have refused to broad government abroad. and seminarians, campaigns of defamation cast the Cardinal's Masses, and forbid any In this ordeal, the Church of Nicaraguan and slander, creation of an artificial parallel favorable reference to the Church in La has been seeking to maintain the construc church which is responsive to the interests Prensa. Radio Catolica was shut down Janu tive dialogue with the government in an at of the party in power, etc. Such attacks ary 1st of this year, and the regime banned tempt to reach a climate of mutual respect have been centered primarily against mem the publication of the Catholic newspaper so that the Church can play a role in the re bers of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Confer Iglesia and confiscated its printing press. construction of your country. We want to ence, with a particular hatred against the Last month Sandinista forces expropriated assure you of our solidarity with you. With president of the Conference, and the Arch all typewriters, telephones, and other means you we are praying for that peaceful recon bishop of Managua, His Eminence Cardinal of communication in the Cardinal's office. ciliation necessary to rekindle the original e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. April 30~ 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 9149 hope of the revolution. For this to take a B.D. from Rochester Colgate School of Di today will, I believe, go a long way toward place, it is essential that there be an imme vinity. He is a member of the Central Commit ameliorating these problems. diate cessation of the present unjust restric tee of the World Council of Churches and a tions suffered by the Church and other sec Like H.R. 2487, this measure provides for a tors of Nicaraguan society. This will un vice president of the World Baptist Alliance. new management regime composed of effect doubtedly provide a powerful impetus for He has visited Asia, Africa, Europe, and the ed user groups and management agencies to the just resolution of the conflicts in your Middle East, taped messages for the Voice of develop an annual comprehensive Klamath country and in that strife tom region.