AMERICA/VENEZUELA - With an appeal to “announce and defend the Gospel of Life and consolidate commitment to making Venezuela a society based on the values of the Kingdom of God” Plenary Council closes

Monday, 9 October 2006

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - “Living our Hope” is the title of a Pastoral Letter issued by the Catholic Bishops of Venezuela, gathered in their 34th special assembly to celebrate the closing of the Plenary Council of Venezuela (see Fides 6/10/2006), in which they affirm their vocation as builders of the Kingdom of God and at the same time call attention to elements present in Venezuelan society.
The Bishops reaffirm the "centrality of the human person, and inalienable human dignity, from which stems the fundamental right to life, source of all other human rights", the opposite to the ruling culture of death, "fruit of egoism and moral relativism", seen in increase in numbers of abortions, murders, kidnapping, extortion, situations of violence in prisons. The Bishops say that everyone has the responsibility to defend life: “only by defending life and dignity of the human person can we build a social where moral values make the importance of the person shine”.
The Letter also deals with Education. The Bishops express concern for certain aspects of the new education law (PLOE). “The great challenge - the Bishops write - is to guarantee everyone education of quality. Intense education in values, in solidarity and civil responsibility and for productive capacity, more than ever necessary today, will lead every Venezuelan to a life oriented by ethics and the overcoming of poverty. We must not forget that the formation of citizens of tomorrow in ethic values and moral principles passes religion".
In view of elections on 3 December the Bishops underline the importance of participation because elections "are an option for democracy which is open to all and fosters dialogue in plurality to solve conflict and find solutions to difficulties with the collaboration of all who, despite varied opinions, consider themselves co-citizens, not enemies". The Bishops say "the electoral campaign must be of high level, in a spirit of respect and tolerance."
The Bishops conclude their Letter with a call to all Venezuelans to work seriously “to fill our homeland with the principles of the Gospel... to announce and defend the Gospel of Life and consolidate commitment to make Venezuela a society based on the values of the Kingdom of God". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 9/10/2006; righe 29, parole 394)


Share: