“This year, in tribute and gratitude to you, I am going to decree Christmas for October 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the Chavista regime, on national television on September 2.
“For everyone, Christmas arrived with peace, happiness and security,” added Maduro. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundothis is not the first time that Chavismo has done this. On the contrary, in 2019, 2020 and 2021 he also decreed the “advancement” of the Christmas season.
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Maduro’s announcement came a few hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant against Edmundo González Urrutia, who would have won by a wide margin the presidential elections on July 28 – according to the electoral records published by the opposition. , and that reflect a radically different result than that announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE), controlled by Chavismo, which declared Maduro as the winner.
Through a statementpublished today, September 3, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) reacted to Maduro’s Christmas advance, stating that this Christian holiday “should not be used for propaganda or particular political purposes.”
“Christmas is a universal celebration that commemorates the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The manner and time of its celebration are the responsibility of the ecclesiastical authority.which ensures that the true spirit and meaning of this event of spiritual and historical richness is maintained, as it marks the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” the CEV noted.
Likewise, the episcopate confirmed that Christmas is a time “of reflection, peace and love, and must be respected as such”.
The Venezuelan bishops recalled that the Christmas season begins on December 25 and ends on the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, every January 6.
“To prepare for Christmas, the liturgy offers us the time of Advent, which this year begins on December 1. These celebrations are accompanied by traditional Christmas parties and Christmas bonus masses,” the CEV concluded.
Andres Henriquez
I have been a writer for ACI Prensa and a correspondent for EWTN since 2023. Since then, I have covered events in the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. Additionally, in Venezuela I have worked with non-governmental organizations in favor of freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I have been a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.