Pope John Paul II's cry to the Sandinista mob and communism
"THE FIRST WE WANT THE PEACE IS THE CHURCH"
The Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the Bishops of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM) was a significant event in the history of the Catholic Church that took place in Nicaragua at the foot of the Cross in the Mountain of Peace Shrine in 2014. However, it is important to note that this event did not occur in isolation, and there before were several factors that led to its occurrence.
Image of Saint John Paul listening to Daniel Ortega's welcoming government speech
40 years after John Paul II'
Pope John Paul II's cry to the Sandinista mob and communism was a resounding call for freedom and human dignity. During his visit to Nicaragua in 1983, the Pope was subjected to the despicable behavior of Sandinista supporters who disrupted his Mass and disrespected the solemnity of the occasion. Despite this, the Pope did not back down or cower to the communist regime that ruled Nicaragua at the time. The Polish Pope was familiar with the oppression of communism, having experienced it firsthand in his native Poland which was under the control of the Soviet URSS.
On March 4, 1983, at nine in the morning, the Managua Airport was preparing for a very special visit - that of Pope John Paul II. He arrived on an Alitalia plane from Costa Rica the Pope was receive to a large banner that greeted him with the words, "Welcome to a free Nicaragua, thanks to God and the revolution."
At that time, Daniel Ortega Saavedra was in government under the title of "coordinator of the Governing Board." This euphemism sought to give a collective tint to the Sandinista dictatorship that was established after the fall of the Somoza tyranny (1936-1979).
Large Sandinista fences stuck at the bottom of the Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in Nicaragua
Ortega is the same dictator who controls the country to this day. The one he has subdued for twenty-seven of the last forty years.
The Polish Pope was arriving in a country that was on the brink of civil war. The day before his arrival, 17 young Sandinistas had been assassinated by the "contras."
But the crucial moment of the visit took place moments later, during the papal mass in a park in Managua that the Sandinistas used for “popular” gatherings. The place was littered with posters of César Augusto Sandino, Marx, Lenin, and other revolutionary heroes. A detail that made the papal entourage uncomfortable.
Juan Pablo, on the contrary, seemed to downplay the matter. He told the Nuncio, Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, that he “don't get angry. When I'm on top with all the bishops, no one will pay attention to the posters.”
The fence reads: "Juan Pablo, your rejection of aggression strengthens the Peace"
But the Sandinista regime had another way to manipulate the activity in mind. Amid shouts, the Sandinista militants chanted: "There is no contradiction between Christianity and revolution," "People's power," "The united people will never be defeated," "The popular Church," and "We want peace," were some of the phrases they shouted.
The shouting angered the Pope, who asked for silence more than once and finally told them:
“Silence. The first one that wants peace is the Church”
Paul II also said offhand: “Beware of false prophets. They present themselves in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ferocious wolves."
Read more in the second part of Juan Pablo's second visit to Nicaragua, and Share this message with a friend to subscribe and receive our news in your email through the following link: https://religiousroastcoffee.
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