Venezuela: Religious live the complicated reality the country with hope

The Venezuelan religious live the complicated and adverse situation of the country with hope, overcoming fear and discouragement, living “in a dynamic of commitment and transformative work,” said the HNA. Lety Pérez, of the slaves of Cristo Rey, through an article published en vatican news.

“The life consecrated in Venezuela continues to sow hope and remains committed to the construction of peace, trying to be close to the life of the poor, understanding them, strengthening their organizations, presenting Jesus, defending life through education, Health assistance, reception centers for children, young and elderly, ”said the religious.

The HNA. Pérez emphasized that those consecrated in the South American country are marked by a history of enthusiasm, by the search for solutions to the problems of the population, “by the call to the mission, to the new borders, to the dialogue with social organizations, to the inter -Gregational apostolate and when awakening of faith in the Church. ”

“To the accompaniment of communities, to basic Christian values, to reflection on Christian practice and dialogue, although sometimes our forces falter and only God knows our efforts,” added the religious.

The slave of Christ the King is also a member of the Venezuelan Conference of Religious (Convert), from where the Church in Venezuela, supported by its consecrated, can respond “to the challenge of evangelization” and the challenge of working to achieve social justice in The country.

From this space, the HNA. Pérez says that he has been able to verify, “that our religious life in the country is fragile in number, in age, in a social position, but with an immense desire to continue supporting our people in the midst of a reality that is not easy to solve and drive”.

“We are the Venezuelan consecrated life, with its merits and defects, at the service of evangelization in its various dimensions, with commitment, humanity and professionalism, giving testimony of God’s love through service to the most needy,” he wrote.

The religious recalled the beginning of her vocation, which flourished thanks to the visit of San Juan Pablo II to Venezuela, in 1985, the first time a bishop of Rome visited the country. At that time, from the city of Maracaibo, the HNA. Pérez felt that God “was waiting for her” to make her happy.

The words of the Polish Pope marked him: “It was the afternoon of January 27 of that year, when our beloved John Paul II was in Maracaibo to celebrate the Eucharist at the Golden Grain Airport and it was there where with his firm but loving voice From pastor, he encouraged young Venezuelans to maintain faith and hope to overcome the “Entation of escape and evasion”.

At that time, he concludes, seeks “helping others to meet themselves, with God, with their brothers and sisters, and together make possible a more human, more fraternal, fair and worthy world for all through the apostolate of teaching , the proposal of spiritual exercises according to the method of St. Ignatius and social work and evangelization. ”