AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Venezuelan Bishops and CELAM: closeness to the people, prayers for the victims, calls for unity after the US raid

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) – Calls for wisdom and unity among the people, interwoven with words of spiritual support. This is the emphasis of the messages addressed in recent hours to the people of Venezuela by Venezuelan Catholic bishops and the presidency of CELAM (Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council), following the military operation launched in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, in Caracas and other areas of the South American country by US military forces. The operation culminated in the arrest and deportation of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The Venezuelan Catholic Episcopal Conference, through its official Instagram account, has released a message expressing its solidarity with the victims of the U.S. operation—at least eighty, including military personnel and civilians, according to the most reliable local and international media reports—and inviting everyone to pray for the preservation of the country's unity.
"In light of the events unfolding in our country today," the Venezuelan bishops wrote, "we ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom, and strength. We stand in solidarity with the wounded and the families of those who have died. Let us persevere in prayer for the unity of our people."

The Presidency of CELAM, on Sunday, January 4, also released a message "of closeness and hope to the Church and the people who journey in Venezuela." Addressing Venezuelan bishops, priests, consecrated persons, and laity, the leaders of CELAM stated that celebrating the Solemnity of the Epiphany at this time “means renewing our faith in a God who is close to the people, who walks with them, illuminates the night, and opens new paths even when everything seems uncertain. Like the Magi, we continue to seek the star that leads us to Christ, a light that no one can extinguish.” In the message—signed, among others, by Franciscan Cardinal Jaime Spengler, Archbishop of Porto Alegre and President of CELAM, and by the First Vice President, Venezuelan José Luis Azuaje Ayala, Archbishop of Maracaibo—CELAM’s leadership echoed the words of Pope Leo XIV, “who spoke out about the situation in Venezuela and reminded us that the good of the people must always take precedence over any other consideration.” His call is clear and full of hope: to overcome all situations of violence, to respect the dignity of every person, to care for the poorest, and to embark on paths of justice and peace, built on dialogue and truth. “From this conviction,” the message to our Venezuelan brothers and sisters continues, “we want to reiterate that you are not alone. CELAM walks with you and with the Venezuelan people, encouraging every effort to build bridges, heal wounds, and advance reconciliation, without excluding anyone.”

CELAM's message concludes by entrusting “this time and this journey to the loving intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto, Mother of the Venezuelan people, and to the luminous witness of Saint José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles (canonized by Pope Leo XIV on October 19, 2025), so that they may accompany the Church and the entire Venezuelan nation in building a future of peace, dignity, and hope.” (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 5/1/2026)

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