We all know that President Joe Biden is a fervent and devout Catholic. After all, he constantly tells us that he is.
Let’s just forget the fact that Biden is a supporter of abortion, despite the Catholic Church’s centuries-old teaching that says abortion is an intrinsic moral evil, Biden says he is Catholic, and therefore he is.
Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the self-proclaimed devout Catholic is reacting to the news that one of the leaders of his church has gone missing.
According to Aletia, Nicaraguan bishop Rolando Alvarez, an outspoken opponent of the Ortega regime in the country, was sentenced to 26 years after refusing to leave with the rest of the 22 political prisoners who were exiled to the United States.
After refusing to get on the plane to the United States, Alvarez was sent to Carcel La Modelo, a prison for political prisoners, where he is being kept in isolation in cell 300, known as “infiernillo” (“tiny hell”).
However, if being held in this hellish prison was not enough, it appears that he has vanished. Aletia reported that prison personnel have told the bishop’s sister Vilma that he is no longer there.
“Today, authorities of ‘La Modelo’ did not allow Monsignor Álvarez access to water. They also denied that our Bishop is there. His family does not know his whereabouts because they are denied everywhere. Let the regime respond! Where is Monsignor Álvarez?” political exile Lesther Aleman said in a translated tweet.
? Hoy, autoridades de «La Modelo» no le permitieron el acceso de agua a Monseñor Álvarez. Asimismo, negaron que nuestro Obispo se encuentre ahí. Su familia desconoce su paradero porque en todas partes se lo niegan. ¡Que responda el régimen! ¿Dónde está Monseñor Álvarez?
— Lesther Alemán (@LestherLAleman) March 4, 2023
It is unclear if this is just a ploy by the prison personnel to keep him if strict isolation or if something has actually happened to him. Now, there are calls for the International Red Cross to visit the prison to ensure that he is safe.
First off, God bless Alvarez for standing up to this oppressive communist regime and for having the courage to stay and fight for his people despite having a chance to flee to safety.
This is something that any good shepherd would do for his flock, and Alvarez is certainly a good shepherd. He is showing a true commitment to his faith.
The same, however, cannot be said for Biden, who claims to be Catholic but has said absolutely nothing about the situation in Nicaragua.
Biden is constantly railing against the Russian invasion of Ukraine but has said next to nothing about the persecution of a member of his faith in a country much closer to home.
Biden is the leader of the free world and, apart from the pope, he is probably the most famous Catholic in the world. A statement from him could really go a long way with regard to the situation in Nicaragua.
Just a statement, or even a tweet, acknowledging what is happening could potentially bring worldwide awareness to the situation and international pressure to bear on the Ortega government.
The sad case of Bishop Alvarez is also, unfortunately, symptomatic of the wider phenomenon of Christian persecution, which most people are unaware of because the media has said next to nothing about it.
We tend to imagine Christian persecution taking place in places like the Middle East where Christians are a small minority, but, as the situation in Nicaragua shows, it can happen anywhere, including places where Christians make up a majority.
It is time that the United States and other western countries acknowledge the fact that Christians are being persecuted around the world, and actually took constructive measures to help them.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
