Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – The second Vice-President of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Roberto Luckert of Coro, said that the Church has the duty "to speak to the nation," and regretted that the official response to the recent pastoral exhortation of the Catholic hierarchy has been "discriminatory and offensive." The Archbishop, who spoke to Union Radio, criticized the national government because it does not respect the Constitution and tries to impose, he said, a socialist project which is not considered in the same Magna Carta. The Archbishop also said that the fact that he had been declared a "disagreeable person" in the state of Falcon, was a measure intended "to intimidate and leave democracy without defense," and "in doing so we take away even the use of protest." Archbishop Luckert urged Venezuelans to exercise their right to vote in parliamentary elections planned in September: "We Democrats are defending the Constitution; we must go and vote in droves on September 26."
The tension at this time, between the Church and government Venezuela, has been caused by the order of the government to close the RCTVI television channel. This has raised protests from many groups: students, workers, not to mention countless mass media operators in the country. The Venezuelan Bishops' Conference (CEV), on January 25, expressed its "deep concern", believing that this act "violates the spirit of democracy." The President of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Ubaldo Santana, has launched an appeal to stop the violence in the country after clashes between demonstrators and police, and asked the government to respect the Catholic Church, calling for dialogue. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 30/01/2010)
