AMERICA/VENEZUELA - The Assembly of Bishops begins: defeat pessimism and allow hope to grow

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - "It is sad to see the gradual deterioration of the institutions and coexistence among all citizens. One has lost confidence. The image that appears is no longer that of a hug among brothers, and the most serious thing is the internal division of the main sectors. The country has become a difficult puzzle to put together. More than nine million Venezuelans live in extreme poverty. Dialogue between government and opposition was only a contingent event, without projections or consequences". With these considerations, the President of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela (CEV), His Exc. Mgr. Diego Rafael Padrón Sanchez, Archbishop of Cumana, opened the works of the Plenary Assembly of the CEV, July 7 Caracas (see Fides 14/05/2014; 21/05/2014).
Mgr. Padrón Sánchez was very blunt, declaring that "the testimonies of all sectors of our society (students, politicians and common people), highlight that in Venezuela human rights and the Constitution are not respected".
The Archbishop of Cumana, however, has shown signs of hope: "the country calls for dialogue, understanding and wisdom. A dialogue that is not only a mechanism to appease the protest, but has to be authentic and has to lead to tangible results. Dialogue is not an alternative to peaceful protest, but to social unrest and violence. The country is not peaceful, we live in tension. Despite all this, no one can deny that Venezuela is a nation with many human resources and moral values. It is necessary to defeat pessimism and allow hope to grow. We are a nation of believers and the majority are Catholics". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2014)