The Bishops of Venezuela say that they pray and work so that the country does not cross a situation of persecution against the Catholic Church such as the one in Nicaragua, while joining the call that Pope Francis addressed this week to the US bishops this week , “So that they ensure the well -being of migrants.”
This February 14, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) concluded its 123rd Plenary Ordinary Assembly, from which a pastoral exhortation entitled has emerged Builders of Hopein which bishops review the most urgent current issues in Venezuela.
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When consulted by ACI Press in a press conference this Friday, Mons. Jesús González de Zárate, Archbishop of Valencia and reelected president of the CEV for Triennium 2025-2028, referred to the serious situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, Persecuted by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who keeps close relations with the Chavista regime.
“We pray and work so that the conditions of Venezuela are those that the vast majority of our people aspire: that we can all live in harmony and in peace, that in Venezuela there are the conditions of freedom, work and plural religious expression that the Most Venezuelans aspire, ”said the archbishop.
“We pray and work not to reach serious situations that occur in other countries,” said Mons. González.
In addition, from the Venezuelan Episcopate A health sentence rose of Pope Francis, hospitalized on Friday morning at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome to undergo a treatment against bronchitis that has been suffering for days.
The political situation in Venezuela
The bishops recognize that “one of the greatest desires” of Venezuelans is “living in peace and freedom”, although they say “it will not be possible as long as the political crisis is not resolved” that the country is going through since July 28, 2024, When the electoral institution – controlled by Chavismo – proclaimed Nicolás Maduro as reelected president for a third consecutive mandate, amid various accusations of fraud.
“If we want to live in a democratic, participatory and leading society, it is necessary of the Catholic Church in Venezuela.
On the case of political prisoners, which in Venezuela are told of thousands especially after last year’s presidential elections, the CEV asked those who direct the state institutions to carry out “forms of amnesty or sentence for the sentence” and it is guaranteed for all “respect for due process and human and constitutional rights.”
Support to Venezuelan migrants
In Venezuela and in the United States, the issue of deportation of undocumented migrants has been in the center of the public debate in recent days. In that sense, the bishops recalled that the Venezuelan immigration crisis “has reached dramatic proportions” with around 8 million people outside the country, a figure that will grow “if the economic, social and political conditions of the country do not change significantly.
The CEV joined the words that Pope Francis directed to the bishops of the United States this week, in which he asked them to ensure the well -being “of those who have migrated to that country in search of better living conditions”, especially citizens Venezuelans who “are mostly workers capable of contributing for the construction of a better society.”
Opportunities for young people and confidence that “things can change”
Bishops are emphatic in pointing out that Venezuelan society must “offer signs of hope to young people”, who often see their dreams and projects “in the face of uncertainties about their future, and the lack of opportunities for study and work.” The Church, through its various instances, ensures that it will continue to accompany the new generations of the country.
Finally, the CEV trusts “the life of Venezuela” and all the activities scheduled for this retirement year to the protection of Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of the Nation, highlighting that “hope invites us to continue trusting that things can change “And calling” to renew our faith in God, for whom there is nothing impossible. “
The full text of pastoral exhortation published today by CEV can be found in its Official website.
Andrés Henríquez
I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked with non -governmental organizations for freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.