Venezuelan bishops strongly condemn attacks on Apostolic Nunciature

Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 15, 2008 / 08:55 am

In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday, the Bishops Conference of Venezuela strongly rejected a new attack against the Apostolic Nunciature.

At 4pm local time, a group of protesters threw explosives at the Nunciature in Caracas and covered the walls in graffiti.  The building suffered minor damage from the explosives.
 
For almost a year student leader Nixon Moreno has taken refuge in the Nunciature to escape persecution and false accusations by the government of Hugo Chavez.

In its statement, the Bishops’ Conference said, “In keeping with our mission as pastors of the Church, and concerned about the new attack on the offices of the Apostolic Nunciature in Venezuela that took place this morning, and concerned about the outbreak of political violence that is happening in various parts of the country, we feel the duty to reiterate our call to calm, to common sense, to respect for freedom and constitutional rights and to the cultivation of a democratic climate.”

The bishops called on officials to investigate the incident and to “punish those responsible for these acts of violence.  We also request that the government take actions to safeguard the diplomatic see of the Vatican, which for all Venezuelan Catholics is also the home of the Holy Father in Venezuela.”
 
They also expressed their prayers and support for Archbishop Giacinto Berloco, the Apostolic Nuncio in Venezuela.