Pope Francis is calling for peace and prayerful solidarity with Venezuela’s anti-government protest victims. The current trouble began in March after President Nicolas Maduro dissolved the opposition-led National Assembly. This caused a constitutional crisis and subsequent political stalemate. “I promise my own prayers for this beloved nation and express my closeness to the families who Read more
Pope Francis met with the Presidential Council of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela in a private audience yesterday. The Episcopal Conference asked to speak to the Pope about the ongoing national crisis in Venezuela. Many Venezuelans struggle to find something to eat, and 11.4 percent of children under 5 in Venezuela suffer from acute malnutrition, Read more
Continued attacks against Catholics in Venezuela are making church leaders wonder if the attacks are part of a campaign to deteriorate the relations between the church and the government. Read more
An archbishop has attacked Venezuela’s president for preventing the Church and other institutions from relieving the nation’s severe food crisis. Archbishop Diego Padrón of Cumaná slammed President Nicolás Maduro’s lack of “moral authority”. “The interests of the government are not the interests of the country,” said Archbishop Padrón. The archbishop is head of Venezuela’s bishops’ conference. Read more
One of the effects of Venezuela’s economic crisis is a shortage of unleavened wheat flour to make Communion hosts. The monthly production of hosts in the South American nation has fallen from 80,000 to 30,000 recently, the Catholic News Agency reported. Giovanni Luisio Mass, prior of the Order of Poor Knights of Christ of the Read more
With an Argentinian Pope at the helm of the Catholic Church, populist politicians in Latin America are doing their best to enlist him in order to promote their agendas. Within a week of Francis’ election, the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claimed that the new Pope’s statements on the “option for the poor” were, in fact, Read more
A wall painting of St Peter Chanel is not the only sign that Kiwis have been in Venezuela. Fr Tony O’Connor, a New Zealand Marist priest, will soon be leaving Flor Amarillo, Valencia, Venezuela. His departure will bring to an end 46 years of Marist work in the area. As well as Fr Tony, two Read more
Hugo Chavez, the socialist president who transformed Venezuela while oppressing Catholic institutions in the 96 per cent Catholic country, reportedly died in “the bosom of the Church” on March 5. The Catholic News Agency said Chavez received spiritual direction and the sacraments in his last days, and Vice President Nicolas Maduro said he died “clinging Read more