Caracas, Venezuela, Mar 21, 2007 / 07:21 am
The Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, said this week the Church in Venezuela “continues waiting since last December for an audience with the president of the republic, Hugo Chavez.”
In a letter sent December 14th, the bishops expressed their concerns to Chavez about issues such as peace in the country, education, respect for opposing views, and Socialism. On that occasion the bishops requested a meeting with Chavez to exchange ideas about such matters.
The Cardinal also repeated his concerns about the security situation in Venezuela, saying government officials have the constitutional duty to confront it and to resolve it.
Cardinal Urosa said the problem of violence can be “resolved when one realizes that the other person is your brother or sister.” Therefore, he said, “Holy Week will be a great opportunity, as every day should be, for renewing in our hearts the important Christian and human sentiments: spiritual growth, fraternity, the rejection of violence, love, and the defense of life.”