AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Cardinal Urosa prays for peace in Venezuela Monsignor Parolin stresses the importance of the laity to solve the country's problems

Monday, 9 September 2013

Caracas ( Agenzia Fides) - With a heartfelt appeal for violence to end in Venezuela, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, concluded the celebration he presided in the Basilica of Santa Teresa, on the World Day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria. "Those in power have a stronger commitment to work for peace in Venezuela", the Cardinal said to the media at the end of the Mass, "Many more people die in this country because of violence due to war conflicts".
According to information sent to Fides Agency, the Cardinal asked to stop violence against children, against women and that exerted by some State officials: "That is political violence, that is aggressiveness (...) , which is practiced against the people due to the misuse of laws, when people are not subject to a fair trial". According to the note, the Cardinal was referring to the case of Victor Manuel Leocenis Garcia and Garcia, 2 public figures detained awaiting trial.
On this occasion, the Archbishop of Caracas also congratulated His Exc. Mgr. Pietro Parolin, who attended the celebration, for his appointment as Secretary of the Vatican State. Monsignor Parolin, who had been invited by the Cardinal for the celebration, was also present, as reported to Fides by UnionRadio, to pray in front of the "Nazareno de San Pablo", the most popular sacred image of Caracas.
The Archbishop, speaking briefly with reporters before the celebration, stressed the importance of the laity: "The laity in Venezuela represent a force that works for the Church's mission, individually or in organized movements. It is a very precious heritage and I ask them to always operate in everyday life: in politics, in culture, in the media. There, where people live, work, fight, suffer and rejoice". In this regard, he recalled the guidelines of the Venezuelan Plenary Council for the Laity: "They know how to put the leaven of the Gospel, become salt and light of Venezuelan society, because the lay people of Venezuela will have to say a fundamental word to solve the problems of this country"- (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/09/2013)


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