The Catholic Church in Venezuela continues its mission to encourage believers to live a Christmas that, even in the difficulties that the country is going through, places Jesus in the middle of each reality so that it is illuminated by the light of his birth. Such is the case of the Archdiocese of Mérida and the Diocese of San Carlos.
Mons. Helizandro Terán, head of Mérida, asked that “Christ be light in each person’s life, so that with words and deeds the Kingdom of God can be built.” His message is framed in a music video published on the archdiocese’s YouTube channeltitled Light a Light: Christmas Message 2024.
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The production reflects different scenes of Venezuelan daily life and was produced in conjunction with private companies. Bishop Terán invited the faithful to “light a light in their lives, so that Christ may guide them.”
“A Christmas full of blessings for all and a happy New Year,” said the archbishop. Religious and priests from all over the state of Mérida also participate in the video.
Likewise, the Diocese of San Carlos, in the state of Cojedes, published his Christmas messagein which a child is seen writing a letter to the Child Jesus, in which he asks for “a new bishop for our diocese.” This Venezuelan ecclesial jurisdiction is located vacant seat from June 2024.
Father Jhonluis Garabán, Diocesan Administrator, wished all Venezuelans a Merry Christmas on behalf of the Diocese of San Carlos and highlighted the central theme of the video: “May this year, God give us a new bishop for our diocese,” he stated.
The production was published on YouTube under the motto Hallelujah, El Salvador has been born, and invites “to reflect on how the arrival of the Child Jesus illuminates our hearts and calls us to be a light for others.” And the diocese adds: “Through testimonies, music and reflections, we will seek to inspire each of you to live this season with generosity and compassion.”
Hope in the midst of a complicated reality
The Christmas messages of the Venezuelan dioceses join the one published by the Episcopate, at the end of November, in which it asks the Chavista regime to release the thousands of detainees in the framework of the presidential elections of last July 28, among whom There are hundreds of minors.
More than 2,000 people have been imprisoned in Venezuela after the elections. Those of minors, held in common prisons and have been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, accused of “terrorism.”
In the Tocuyito prison, relatives of some detainees wait for news of their loved ones. There is constant news about deaths inside prisons. Ambulances enter and leave the prison, according to the Associated Press, but people waiting outside the facility are not given any information about the well-being of their relatives.
“When I got here I received the news (of the death of a prisoner in custody). A man has died, that’s what we’ve been told. And that’s why we are very nervous, because today it was him, tomorrow we don’t know who it could be,” said Yurimar Bermúdez, a relative of one of the detainees.
“They threaten us when we come to visit so that we don’t say anything because it is our children (prisoners) who will pay. How long are they going to threaten us? How long are they going to keep our mouths shut? Anyone who opposes the regime goes to jail. It’s not a lie. They (the government) say this is not political. “It’s political, sir, it’s political,” said Gleydis Chávez, another family member stationed at the entrance to the prison.
The bishops emphasize that Christmas celebrations come this year to help all the country’s faithful to “live the great gift of the God who becomes man and is born in Bethlehem.”
“Every Christmas should bring us closer to the definitive Easter when humanity, opting for good, will reach the place where ‘every tear will dry from its eyes and there will be no more death, nor will there be crying, nor shouting, nor fatigue, because the old world has passed away.’ (Rev 21:4)”, they conclude in their message of November 25.
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.