Holy See calls Nicaragua's withdrawal of approval of Nuncio 'incomprehensible'

Vatican News

The Holy See expressed great surprise and regret at the communication received from the government of Nicaragua, which has decided to withdraw the approval of Archbishop Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, Apostolic Nuncio in Managua since 2018, that requires him to leave the country immediately after the notification of the measure. A statement released by the Holy See Press Office notes that "Such a measure seems incomprehensible because in the course of his mission Archbishop Sommertag worked with profound dedication for the good of the Church and the Nicaraguan people, especially the most vulnerable, always seeking to foster good relations between the Apostolic See and the authorities of Nicaragua."

A witness to dialogue

The statement recalled "his participation as a witness and accompanying the national dialogue between the government and the political opposition, with a view to reconciliation in the country and the release of political prisoners." In conclusion, the statement notes, that "While the Holy See is convinced that such a grave and unjustified unilateral measure does not reflect the feelings of the deeply Christian people of Nicaragua, it wishes to reaffirm its full confidence in the papal representative."

A fragile process

In 2019, interviewed by Vatican Radio/Vatican News, Archbishop Sommertag, who is of Polish descent, spoke about the dialogue between government and opposition to overcome the serious socio-political situation in the country. "One cannot hide - he had said on that occasion - that this process is truly fragile and everything depends on the political will of the two parties. There is national and international lack of trust, because the climate is indeed tense. One hopes common sense will prevail and that a negotiated and peaceful solution the parties are truly able to respect will soon be reached". In November 2021, Daniel Ortega was elected president of Nicaragua for his fourth consecutive term.