The Catholic Church held a very strong anti-communist belief, and the alliance troubled the church. The Vatican hoped to resolve the issue of mounting tension with the Papal visit. Following a conference in Medelin, Columbia, in which many Bishops supported liberation theology, Catholics of Nicaragua were optimistic that the Pope would speak of standing against oppression and assisting the poor, and would support the Sandinistas’ vision of peace.
They had also hoped for words of condolence for the families of 17 members of the Sandinista Youth Organization who were ambushed and killed, and buried the day before the Pope’s speech (http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/47/030. html).
The government arranged for free transportation for citizens, and declared a national holiday so that people could attend the mass (http://www. americancatholic. org/Features/JohnPaulII/3-CentralAmerica-1983. asp).
The Nicaraguan Catholics did not get their wish, however. The sermon included demands to “abandon our unacceptable ideological commitments” for faith (Goff, 2008).
The Pope spoke of the importance of support of the church as a way to combat communism, and of church unity under the bishops (http://www. hartford-hwp. com/archives/47/030. html).
He did not say one word of condolence to the families of those that lost their lives, and made no proposal for peace. Many members of the audience shouted their frustration, which caused the Pope to angrily yell for them to be quiet when he was interrupted. The Nicaraguan people correctly felt that the Pope’s visit would further deepen the tensions between the Sandinistas and the Catholic
The Term Paper on History of the Catholic Church on the death penalty and how it has changed over time
Whereas the ancient Catholic Church did not have much of a problem with capital punishment, the modern Catholic Church stands resolutely against capital punishment. The stand of the Catholic Church concerning death penalty gives a clear illustration of centuries of tension in addition to uncertainties. However, the Catholic Church with its stern stand has been able to manage all the tensions that ...