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Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara, who suffers from various health concerns, has been retired from active ministry since 2020. On the evening of June 28th, the 80-year-old Christian leader accepted an invitation to celebrate mass at the La Cruz del Calvario Church. During the service, he remembered in prayer all those experiencing religious persecution within his country.
It is believed that an individual with ties to the government was present at the service and, consequently, reported the bishop's words to national police. The following day, Bishop Mata Guevara was taken into custody. Although the Christian leader had been released later that evening, he was detained again the next day for several hours. Since then, police have maintained a presence outside his home, raising concerns that he may be subjected to ongoing surveillance and restrictions on his movements.
Another church leader, Silvio José Báez, who formerly served as the auxiliary bishop of Managua, had been forced to leave Nicaragua in 2019 for his own safety and was later stripped of his citizenship in 2023. Commenting on the authorities' ill-treatment of Bishop Mata Guevara, he describes their actions as "cowardly" – further stating that they "demonstrate the weakness and irrationality of a criminal dictatorship."
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Bishop Mata Guevara's arrest is one of 12 documented cases involving the arbitrary detentions of Catholic and Protestant Christians in Nicaragua during the month of June alone. In addition, numerous churches have reported experiencing harassment, intimidation and threats. Read other reports addressing the various challenges encountered by believers in this oppressive Central American nation.
- Please prayerfully uphold Bishop Mata Guevara and the many other Christians who are undergoing detentions, threats, deportation orders, or other forms of harassment and intimidation, due to Nicaragua's dictatorship governance.
- In the midst of these challenges, may God continue to build His church, drawing many more people to faith in Christ while also further encouraging His followers to remain steadfast, joyful and filled with hope.
- Intercede on behalf of the country's political leaders, asking the Lord to soften their hearts and reveal to them His spiritual truths, so they may govern with justice, compassion and respect for the fundamental freedoms of all people.
