On the eve of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, Mons. Silvio Báez, led a Mass in the church of Santa Juliana of the Diocese of Palm Beach (United States). His message focused on resistance to persecution, highlighting the true joy that comes from God and that “seems to have been lost” in Nicaragua.
The Holy Mass was held within the framework of “La Gritería”, a Catholic festival celebrated in honor of the Immaculate Conception, in which the faithful take to the streets to visit the altars in honor of the Mother of God that are raised in homes and churches. That day is also characterized by prayers, songs to the Virgin and fireworks.
The bishop recalled the words of the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin, on the day of the Annunciation of the Lord in Nazareth: “Rejoice, full of Grace. The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). “Through the Virgin, the joy of God entered human history,” he expressed.
However, Bishop Báez wonders if a girl with limited economic resources, who lived in an unknown city in Galilee and without an apparent promising future under Roman domination, could really feel that joy. To which he responded that that young woman opened her heart and humbly allowed joy to germinate for her and for all men.
He then pointed out that all people may not have any reason to experience that joy. “So many times we carry the weight of our mistakes, failures and sins,” she said, adding that this can also happen on a collective level. He then referred to the complicated political situation in Nicaragua, where the communist regime of Daniel Ortega undertook relentless persecution against the Catholic Church.
“The lack of freedoms, the disrespect for human rights, the persecution of the Church, among other things, has produced a very great feeling of fear and helplessness. Many people are leaving the country, there are people persecuted or in jail for expressing themselves freely,” he noted.
He also added: “The future of the country is uncertain. There are many gloomy faces and overwhelmed hearts that express sadness, helplessness and uncertainty.”
For Bishop Báez, the call that God made to the Virgin Mary two thousand years ago is also made to Nicaraguans today. He reminds us that the Mother of God “is the most beautiful testimony that joy is possible,” even when there are no human reasons to rejoice. For the bishop, the secret of Christian joy lies in the words of the angel to the Virgin Mary: “The Lord is with you,” because God is in the midst of all men “like a powerful savior.”
“This is the secret of the Virgin’s joy and of our joy… May nothing and no one take away from us the joy that the loving closeness of the Lord gives us,” he said.
The bishop concluded by indicating that the mystery of the Immaculate Conception should lead believers to value their smallness and abandon themselves with confidence in the hands of God, just as the Blessed Virgin did.
The words of Mons. Silvio Báez come in the midst of the persecution that Daniel Ortega’s regime has unleashed against the Catholic Church. The most media case of this difficult situation is that of Mons. Rolando Álvarez , Bishop of Matagalpa, unjustly imprisoned since February of this year. Mons. Báez has been living in exile in the United States for some years.
Andrés Henríquez is a Venezuelan writer specialized in religion and politics. He has more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. He is a member of the Regnum Christi Federation.
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That day is also characterized by songs to the Virgin and fireworks. Furthermore, in the city of León, the Bishop is in charge of starting the party, shouting from the atrium of the Cathedral: “Who causes so much joy?”, to which the people respond: “The Conception of Mary!”