sobre la iglesia

Another post for Paul (though I hope other readers find this interesting as well). I can't take credit for the insights that follow. I've selected them from one of the books I read about Nicaraguan history recently, called Nicaragua in Focus, published by Interlink. Personal comments are italicized.

“Spanish colonial authorities used religion as a means of control in Nicaragua with great success. The church colluded with colonial authorities for many years, preaching subservience to its native congregations. Church leaders were extremely wealthy and supportive of the conservative ruling class, a reality that is still present today.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has rarely spoken out against the status quo. Only in the late 1970s did bishops here join the ranks of the anti-Somoza movement. However, lower classes of catholics actively participated in the Sandinista revolution under the influence of liberation theology doctrine. The most radical parallel might go something like this—Sandino was Jesus or Moses, Somoza was Pharaoh, and the masses like the Israelites. Priests and nuns were vital in the urban insurrection, acting as messengers and providing shelter for guerrillas. Many clergy members were given positions in the new FSLN government.

Pope John Paul II condemned the activity of these clergy as contradictory to the Gospel when he visited Nicaragua in 1983. When the Sandinistas were defeated in 1990, a conservative bishop was appointed to the region, who openly supported the Liberal Alliance (kind of a misnomer, as they represent a conservative political faction here in Nicaragua). The Catholic influence in Nicaragua today is largely symbolic, and limited to major festivals and celebrations.(Schools here close for the entire Holy Week in the spring, and for “summer break” in December and January, during which there are several religious observances that attract a large number of Nicas.)

Meanwhile, the Protestant influence began to greatly expand in the 1950s and 60s, especially Baptist, Episcopalian, and Assembly of God denominations. (There are 9 Assembly of God churches in Leon alone.) Much of the leadership of these churches is now Nicaraguan, due in part to the pro-Somoza North American Christians who fled the country during the Sandinista revolution. Today about 1/3 of the country belongs to some Protestant church.”

[One more note about the Catholics. There was an article Monday in La Prensa, one of the national Nicaraguan daily papers here, about the soon-to-be-released Da Vinci Code movie. The local Nicaraguan bishop was quoted as supporting Catholics who might want to see the film (with a critical eye of course), while the Salvadorian bishop condemned the film and urged his congregations not to see it at all. An interesting contrast in Catholic leadership. ]