ROME (OSV News) -- Nicaragua's government issued a harsh statement Feb. 8 condemning the Vatican following remarks by exiled Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa. The bishop, who was banished from his motherland in January 2024 after 500 days of detention, reaffirmed Pope Francis' wish for him to continue leading two Nicaraguan dioceses from abroad. The government accused the Vatican of interfering in Nicaraguan sovereignty, describing Bishop Álvarez's comments as "irresponsible and disrespectful." Bishop Álvarez, who became the face of church persecution under President Ortega's regime, shared in a Feb. 6 EWTN interview that prayer sustained him during his detention. He also expressed his gratitude for his freedom and affirmed that he does not consider himself exiled but "liberated." The Nicaraguan regime, which has cracked down on the Catholic Church, stripped Bishop Álvarez and other exiled clergy of their citizenship. Despite this, the bishop continues to maintain hope, quoting Pope Francis' pastoral letter calling Nicaraguans to trust in divine providence amid their struggles.