Pope Leo Calls For Human Rights And Sovereignty In Venezuela
Pope Leo XIV called for Venezuela to remain an independent nation on Sunday and said he was following developments after the U.S. ousted leader Nicolas Maduro with a "soul full of concern.”
Leo, the first American-born pope, also called for the respect of human rights “as enshrined" in Venezuela's constitution.
“We must not delay in overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, while guaranteeing the country's sovereignty," the pope said in Italian during his weekly Angelus message at the Vatican.
The comments came a day after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would take control of Venezuela after ordering a raid to capture Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
While the arrests brought with it elation from Venezuelans inside the country and around the world, Christians reacted in different ways. For many in the oil-rich South American nation, Maduro’s capture was an answer, albeit a bittersweet one, to decades of fervent prayer.
“Although I am a Christian and firmly oppose all forms of war, I cannot deny that my heart feels a sense of hope at the possibility of justice being served in Venezuela,” Yhonatan Parada told The Christians Chronicle.
Christians of other denominations also called on prayer to help the nation get through this tough period.
The Evangelical Council of Venezuela, in a statement by Pastor José G. Piñero, asked its members not to be carried away by the arrests, but rather to “inform themselves with discernment and dedicate themselves to prayer for the country.”
Those statements were similar to what the pope emphasized. Pope Leo XIV, in his message, warned that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.”
Meanwhile, the country’s Catholic bishops issued “a message of accompaniment and closeness with the People of God.”
"In light of the events our country is experiencing today, let us ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom, and strength," the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference said in a statement posted on Instagram. “We stand in solidarity with those who were wounded and the families of those who died. Let us persevere in prayer for the unity of our people.”
Clemente Lisi serves as executive editor at Religion Unplugged.