Pope John Paul Ii’s 1983 Visit to Nicaragua Essay Example

The Catholic Church's opposition to the revolutionary government came to a head when Pope John Paul II visited Nicaragua in 1983. Both the Nicaraguan government and the Sandinista government were eager for the pope's visit. The Catholic church was expected to receive great support and moral legitimacy from the Pope when it came to the opposition of the Sandinista government. The church was in hopes of the Pope's support to the peace process while assuming the role of mediator and voicing his dislike of American aid to the contras. When the Pope arrived in Nicaragua, he made it clear to the priests that he was not supportive of their views. The pope stressed that the church coming together and being unified was the only solutions to Nicaragua's many crises and being corrupted by "godless communism." Furthermore, the Pope spoke out against the divided between the popular church and the institutional hierarchical Church. Also, he advocated the authority of the bishops and proclaimed the importance of religious education. The Pope made it clear to the Nicaraguan priests supported Archbishop Miguel Obando Bravo, but opposed the handful of Nicaraguan priests that held government positions. The Pope didn’t have any sympathetic words or message either publicly or privately to the Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs who gave him their petition for peace. He could have said a few words of sympathy and won over that crowd easily and satisfied the Sandinista leaders. Some reform-minded Catholics in Nicaragua hoped that the pope would speak out against the country's issues, such as hunger, the poor, and the corruptive government. People feared that pope's visit may not bring a sense of peace, but leaving them in a worsen state. This proved to be true. After the Pope's visit, the tensions were more brutal and deepened than ever.

Works Cited
1.) http://countrystudies.us/nicaragua/30.htm
2.) http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/47/030.html
3.) Brower, Daniel R. (). The World in