Political and social issues stem from moral crisis, advises Venezuelan cardinal

Caracas, Venezuela, Feb 24, 2010 / 20:59 pm

In his message for Lent 2010, the Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, said the political and social crisis that Venezuela is currently experiencing “is due to the sinister presence of sin in our society and in ourselves.”

In his statement, the cardinal first explained the importance of living out “the Lenten practices of prayer, mortification or penance and almsgiving.

He urged Venezuelans to realize that “the root of the difficulties we are experiencing lies in a profound moral crisis, that is, in the sinister presence of sin in our society and in ourselves.”  He then gave examples of the sins that society faces: “ violence, hatred, injustice, aggression, delinquency, crime, sexual disorders, religious indifference.”

“The corruption that is manifested in various ways in the social life of the country, in the area of sexuality, in the economic sphere, in the political sphere, is a manifestation of that moral crisis,” he warned.

“Beyond the political problems, which we must try to resolve in accord with our constitution … we must place our hands over our hearts and listen to the Gospel invitation: ‘Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel’,” Cardinal Urosa urged.

“Let us open our hearts to Jesus Christ! Let us take advantage of this Lent to seriously embrace our faith.  Let us truly embrace our following of Christ and its consequences in the areas of morality and religious practice.  Let us really be practicing Christians!” he stated.

After encouraging participation in Sunday Mass and in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, Cardinal Urosa concluded his message encouraging Venezuelans to embrace “the commitment to firmly live our faith, to know it, appreciate it, defend it, without fear or hang-ups.”  He also asked the faithful to “joyfully embrace our belonging to the Holy Church of God, the people of life, of love and of peace.”