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A. I found myself in a situation with a completely alien form of philosophy. All of us know what the Communists are. Where ever you go their philosophy is the same. They persecuted the Church. Poverty is the daily bread since they took over. It was a painful experience because number one I had to leave my homeland. And number two to see what they did to Nicaragua. It used to be a very beautiful country-peaceful and clean. Now, it’s a completely different story.
Q. How and why did you become a priest?
A. Since I was four years old I wanted to be a priest. The vocation grew with me as I was growing older. However, many difficulties came to me. The first was a week before entering the seminary in Managua, Nicaragua, my homeland; I had to leave the country with my family because of the Sandanista regime took over the government.
I went to the U.S., then to Rome where I studied theology and philosophy. In 1987, I developed many different illnesses. The ordination couldn’t take place because my condition wouldn’t allow any stable responsibility. So, in 1997 Archbishop Jose La Boa who was the apostolic nuncio to Malta and Libya called me and told me,” ...you have a vocation and a vocation can never be wasted. When I go to Rome, I will present your case to the Holy Father to request a pontifical indult for you to be ordained.”
So, when Archbishop La Boa went to Rome he meet with the Holy Father and requested a pontifical indult -which is called the gift of the Pope- for me to be ordained. The Holy Father only required that I have a bishop. So, Archbishop La Boa -knowing of my relationship with Archbishop Giuseppe Bernardini in Turkey- contacted him to present the situation. Archbishop Bernardini without any hesitation accepted me as his priest. He flew all the way from Turkey on December 1997 to ordain me. I was ordained a on Dec.13.
Q. What is the toughest time you have had in the experience in the priesthood?
A. The only difficulty is that I can not be in my diocese. That’s the only thing I can tell you.
Q. Why are you in the San Francisco Bay Area?
A. I am here due to my heath situation. I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis especially on my right lung. I have a disorder called meningitis, and many other different problems. Archbishop Leveda welcomed me in his territory as a guest priest until I leave the United States. He issued a canonical statement of faculties in March 1998.
A. You were involved with a miracle of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Can you tell us about it?
Q. In April of last year, Reverent Mother Teresa of the Child Jesus from Mexico was dying. She was in a monastery in Lincoln, Nebraska. The doctor said there was no hope for her and she was going to die any second. So, I flew to Nebraska with a first class relic of Mother Teresa Calcutta that was giving to my by her house-the Gift of Love - in San Francisco. When I saw Mother in her cell she was ready to die-all the vital organs were collapsing. So I celebrated the Mass in her cell and anointed her with the sacrament of sick. After the Mass, I blessed her with the relic and left it in her hands. The morning after, Mother was healed. After this, we were asked to write a letter to the Holy Father and to the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints. Sometime later we got a letter from Rome acknowledging that the Holy Father had received the letter. Mother’s heart and lung conditions that were killing her are completely healed and disappeared. She is ninety years old, and I can tell you she is more alert than I am.
Q. Your diocese is in Islamic Turkey. Can you tell us how you got stationed there?
A. As a matter of fact, I’ve never been to Turkey. It is through the kindness of Archbishop Bernardini that I was accepted as his priest when Archbishop La Boa requested the pontifical indult. I thank him with all my heart for accepting me as a priest and I don’t even go around the corner without consulting him.
Q. What is your opinion of Islam? What was your reaction to Sept. 11?
A. My opinion is the same as I would have of any other religion. I only make a difference between the Moslems teachings of common universal well being and those who are fanatics. Among themselves, they are divided. There are Moslems who understand their religion as doing good to others. And on the other hand, there are fanatics who use their beliefs to spread death and pain. My brain can not even start reasoning on what happened that day. It’s beyond any human understanding. There’s no other way of explaining it-it’s evil itself, period.
Q. You consider yourself a Marian priest. Can you tell us about that?
A. I consider myself a Marian priest. I owe everything I am to the most holy Mother of God. She has been my mother, my guide; and I can understand myself-my being- only within her mystery. This is the most extraordinary gift I received from her. My vocation is another extraordinary gift from her. I owe my life and priesthood to her. We have a loving mother and sister on our way to her Son. I wish everyone could know the treasures that are in her Immaculate Heart. My wish is that all of us ponder the mystery of Mary most holy in the life the church, and in the life mankind. I can state before God that since I was a child- the most holy Mother of God has protected me
I consider myself as following the teaching of the church on the Mother of God. The presence of the Mother of God is very important in my priestly life. She is the mother of priests in a very special way. In this time of war, she is the mother of peace especially in the rosary. We must ask her to give us the peace we are longing for. We can receive so many graces if we entrust our selves - our very being - to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This the most important thing I have to say.
Q. Can you tell us about the photo with you and the Pope?
A. I asked the Holy Father if I could have his cap. He said so you want to be pope. I said are you crazy. He said so you think I’m crazy. We both laughed.
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