Fieldwork Archive
El Procesión del Silencio (the Procession of Silence) is traditionally marched on Holy Thursday or Good Friday in some Catholic communities worldwide.
In León, Nicaragua, the image of Jesús del Silencio (Jesus of Silence) typically portrays Jesus blindfolded as narrated in Luke 22:64 and Mark 14:65.
The image this parish uses also quotes Jesus' words from John 2:19: "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days."
The unidentified piece in this recording is in the style of a funeral march.
Catholic processions have been largely banned or restricted in Nicaragua since 2023 under the Sandinista dictatorship, purportedly for public safety concerns, but the government has been known to arrest and exile Catholic clergy for their criticism of the regime.
The bishop of León is said to be more favorable in the eyes of the government; it is likely for this reason that the popular street processions in León for the feast days of St. Jerome and Virgen de la Merced (Virgin of Mercy) have yet to be banned, even though they are banned in other cities like Masaya.
With the exception of those two feast days, the few other processions allowed to take place in León are only allowed inside the church and within a small perimeter just outside the walls of the church.
