The cardinal of Nicaragua and archbishop of Managua, Leopoldo Brenes, presented his resignation to Pope Francis this week, just when he turned 75 years of age, which is when Catholic bishops usually present their resignation to the Holy See as established by Canon Law. .
Brenes announced the news on Thursday in an interview broadcast on the official website of the Managua Cathedral and confirmed it after consultations with the Voice of America.
«I did it because of a rule that we all have. “I am calm, I feel peace,” Brenes told VOA, after sending his letter to Pope Francis.
Cardinal Brenes was appointed Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Managua in 2005 by Pope John Paul II, replacing Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, who retired in accordance with Canon Law (due to age limit).
Brenes’ functions in front of the Church have been marked by pressure from the government of President Daniel Ortega against the Catholic Church, after the protests of 2018, and where priests welcomed protesters in temples.
As a result of the anti-government protests, the Ortega government has withdrawn its support for the Church, while commissioning priests and expelling them from the country.
Nicaraguan government spokesperson Rosario Murillo, the second-in-command in power, congratulated Brenes this Thursday and said she was committed to “working hard for respect, reunion and liberation from all evil.”
«Now the bells ring surely, joy in victory. By greeting his eminence, we commit to working hard for respect, reunion, in a culture and a pastoral of justice, harmony and liberation from all evil, especially hatred,” said Murillo.
Pope Francis must accept the resignation of Cardinal Brenes and appoint a new person to stand in front of the Catholic Church, at moments considered “crucial” for parishioners and religious in Nicaragua.
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