Pope Francis Calls on Socialist Lula da Silva for Assistance in Freeing Persecuted Priest in Nicaragua Where Dictator Maintains Ties with Brazilian President
Brazilian President Lula da Silva and the Pope Francis. Photo by Ricardo Stuckert
Pope Francis has confirmed that he sought the help of Brazil’s socialist president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to secure the release of Catholic bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is imprisoned in Nicaragua’s left-wing dictatorship for opposing the regime led by Marxist Daniel Ortega.
The request from the Supreme Pontiff to the Brazilian president took place in June of this year during a meeting at the Vatican. Lula da Silva gained notoriety for supporting the Sandinista dictatorship in Nicaragua.
“Yes, I asked for Lula’s help,” stated the Pontiff when questioned on the matter in an interview with the Spanish magazine “Vida Nueva”, released this Friday (4).
