Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - At the opening of the 99th Ordinary Assembly of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (CEV), the President of the CEV, the Archbishop of Cumaná, His Exc. Mgr. Diego Rafael Padrón Sánchez, asked all Venezuelans to respect the Constitution, and to political representatives to act according to the Constitution to resolve the issue of empowerment on behalf of the President. On January 10, in fact, re-elected President Hugo Chavez, should take oath before the Supreme Court of Justice, under Article. 231 of the Constitution. However, according to the agencies, Chavez continues to be hospitalized for cancer in Cuba, where he has been since December 11 last year, "his conditions (medical) are stationary," according to the Venezuelan Minister of Communications Ernesto Villegas. Regarding this latest news, Mgr. Diego Padrón has asked the government to tell the whole truth to the people of Venezuela.
Before the various interpretations of the Constitution proposed by the political groups in this historical moment in Venezuela, where President-designate is seriously ill and is out of the country, the President of the CEV stressed that to "change the Constitution in order to achieve a political objective is morally unacceptable." In the note sent to Fides Agency the complex situation that the country is living is described and shows the position of the Church, according to Mgr. Padrón’s words:" What the Venezuelan people want is clear: the public authorities must comply and follow the Constitution, because if we ignore it, we fall into chaos, violence and anarchy. "The Ordinary Assembly of the Bishops of Venezuela, which began yesterday, on January 7, will end on Friday, January 11, and must study and reflect on the ecclesial and social situation that the country is living. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 08/01/2013)
