On July 6, Eugenio Salazar Mora, the bishop of Tilarán-Liberia in Costa Rica, knelt down to meet the head of the Missionaries of Charity, who had been exiled from Nicaragua by President Daniel Ortega’s administration.
At a parish in the town of Caas, the sisters of the order established by St. Teresa of Calcutta were welcomed to Costa Rica.
The bishop is seen in a video welcoming the nuns one by one and giving them each a kiss on the episcopal ring on Facebook. Salazar approached the superior and knelt down, kissing the sister’s hand as he did so.
The Diocese of Tilarán-Liberia explained that “the sign of reverence that [the bishop] makes toward the mother provincial is a sign of being at her disposal and of service toward this community.”
In another video, posted July 7, the bishop said he didn’t know the reasons for the expulsion of the nuns, who “remain silent because they are religious, because of their spirituality of not seeking recognition, not getting involved in controversies, and they offer their pain for the Costa Rican people.”
“They have had difficult times, fearful for their personal safety, knowing that they are of several different nationalities and some of them are older. They were very worried until they arrived on Costa Rican territory,” the prelate continued.
“If it had been up to them, they would stay in Nicaragua; they love Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan people, especially those most in need,” the bishop noted.
“I don’t see any fault on their part, they’re just women, spouses of Jesus Christ, consecrated religious, who only aim to serve the poor, to do many things that many others don’t do,” he stressed.
“But, well, that’s the life of the Christian; also the dimension of martyrdom is part of Christian spirituality. The Church of Jesus Christ is the persecuted Church — otherwise it would not belong to Christ,” Salazar said.
Following the example of St. Teresa of Calcutta, “they only seek one privilege: to love and serve the poor, the most needy,” he said.
After requesting prayers for Nicaragua, the prelate stressed that “in receiving you we have received Jesus Christ. You are valiant women, of simplicity. Count on us, we are at your service.”
On July 6, the 15-year-old Ortega administration expelled 18 Missionaries of Charity from the nation of Central America.
The National Assembly of Nicaragua authorised the dissolution of the Missionaries of Charity and another 100 NGOs on June 29 on a “urgent” basis and without any discussion, according to the EFE news agency.
The Sandinista National Liberation Front, headed by Ortega, controls the National Assembly, Nicaragua’s legislative assembly.
Eight Indians, two Mexicans, two Filipinos, two Guatemalans, two Nicaraguans, one Spaniard, one Ecuadorian, and one Vietnamese are among the 18 sisters.
At the end of his message, Salazar said that “love will overcome, love will triumph. God has the last word and not man. Onward Nicaragua, onward Nicaraguan Christians! Long live Christ the King!”