Managua: Pope Leo XIV has received Bishop Carlos Enrique Herrera Gutierrez, president of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference, who was forcibly expelled from Nicaragua by the authoritarian government of President Daniel Ortega last year.
Bishop Herrera, a Franciscan priest and prominent voice for democracy, was deported in November 2024 after openly criticizing local authorities loyal to Ortega. The incident followed a confrontation when loud music was deliberately blasted outside his cathedral during Holy Mass an act the bishop condemned as a violation of religious freedom. Shortly after, he was forced into exile and welcomed by a Franciscan community in neighboring Guatemala.
Since 2022, Bishop Herrera has led the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, standing at the forefront of the Church’s defense of democracy and human rights. His persecution is emblematic of the regime’s broader crackdown on the Catholic Church, which Ortega’s government accuses of supporting the 2018 pro-democracy protests. Those demonstrations demanded the resignation of Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, and were met with violent repression.
Over recent years, the Nicaraguan government has tightened its grip on the Church seizing Catholic institutions, expelling clergy, and criminalizing outspoken bishops. Despite this, the Church remains one of the few institutions that continues to voice solidarity with the Nicaraguan people’s struggle for freedom and justice.
By receiving Bishop Herrera at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV has sent a strong signal of support to Nicaragua’s persecuted clergy and faithful, reaffirming the Holy See’s commitment to defending religious liberty in the face of political oppression.