The pope asks a Nicaraguan bishop to help him in Rome

Managua (Nicaragua) (IACA):Pope Francis asked Monsignor Silvio Báez, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, to help him in Rome. The prelate and Cardinal Léopold Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, explained the reasons for this pontiff's special request, leaving Nicaragua at the heart of the country's institutional crisis.

Pope Francis asked Monsignor Silvio Báez, Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, to help him in Rome. The prelate and Cardinal Léopold Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, explained the reasons for this pontiff's special request, leaving Nicaragua at the heart of the country's institutional crisis.

At the press conference held at the Curia of the Archbishop of Managua, the Nicaraguan Cardinal said that Bishop Baez would go to Rome at the end of the Holy Week celebrations.

Bishop Báez relies on the text of the Bible, the Acts of the Apostles, on the words that St. Paul addressed to the priests of Ephesus. From there, he explained the situation in three points. In the first place, he explained, he did not ask to leave Nicaragua.

"I want to make it clear that my heart has always been here, at home, in my country and among my people and that the heart of my pastor will stay here in Nicaragua." I did not ask to leave, the Saint -My father called, I went to Rome and he received me very lovingly, very fraternal, with great interest for my ministry and for my life, as well as for the situation in Nicaragua. He listened to me with great attention, "he said.

"I testify to you in all sincerity, as I told the Holy Father: At that moment, I feel great pain in my heart, a great pain not to be physically in the midst of my dear Nicaraguan people, especially of the faithful and holy people of God, to proclaim the Gospel with my voice and to offer to it by pastoral proximity a word of consolation and prophecy, while Paul burst into tears with the priests of God. 'Ephesus, I also cried,' he added.

The prelate said that "this decision of the pope was accepted and badumed with a loving obedience" and acknowledged having made him cry in his heart while he was remembering the l & # 39; affection, trust, closeness to the Nicaraguan people, support the people, the peasants, the mothers of the victims of the repression, the persecuted and suffering young people and those who are in prison. "

"I have a deep peace that is a special grace of the Lord, a grace given by the Lord who, for ten years, did only what I had to do … I did not nothing but serving Jesus and the Gospel, "he said.

The prelate recalled an anecdote from this meeting: he told the pope that he often asked Jesus to help him do something for the Holy Father, seeing so many problems that the pontiff faces , with collaborators who are lacking. The smiling pope says, "The Lord has taken your word because now you will have to help me." We kissed smiling, it's the obedience of the Church.

Before the journalists' questions about this decision of the pontiff, Bishop Báez wanted to recall the sentence that the Holy Father constantly said to him: "I am interested to have you here, at that moment, I need you". +