Church praying for peace in Nicaragua, Venezuela – highlights of Latin American Catholic news

Latin America is still one of the most Catholic regions of the globe, and there is no shortage of Church news from “south of the border.”

From bishops commenting on the political crises in places like Nicaragua and Venezuela to a beauty queen honoring the Virgin Mary in defiance of local authorities in Argentina, faith still has an important role to play in Central and South America.

Nicaragua

After playing a key role in last year’s failed attempt of dialogue between the national government of Daniel Ortega and the opposition, the Catholic bishops are officially opting out of the new attempt to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis.

Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, president of the bishops’ conference, said on Sunday that the Church will not go back on a decision to stay on the sidelines.

“When we take decisions, we don’t do so in a crazy way, they’re reflected upon, shared,” Brenes told journalists after celebrating Mass.

He also said that he believes there are many highly qualified people in the government and the Alianza Civic, the main opposition, to dialogue with one another and listen to the demands of the people.

The people at the negotiating table, he said, “have an enormous responsibility, that includes a lot of work and which can be transcendental, and they can pull it off. We won’t be present physically, but we will be praying that they’re led by the spirit.”

Read more at Crux.