A Big Announcement This Week

There are 10 days left until the presidential election on October 7. In one way or another, we Venezuelans are experiencing an anxiety (I would say an almost unique one) about what may or may not happen that day in our country. This week the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference (CEV) will make an announcement calling on all Venezuelans to see the presidential election as an event of particular importance in the life of our democratic society, because it will profoundly shape the country’s future. Last week a statement from the Archdiocese of Caracas said that voting is a serious moral obligation: it is about strengthening democracy and securing the good of all Venezuelans, without exclusion or discrimination of any kind, and we are all called to take part actively, decisively and in solidarity. It is time to vote!

This week the CEV will also make a big announcement: a call to a Novena of Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation in Venezuela on the days leading up to October 7 (from September 28 to October 6). Since the election falls on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the CEV proposes that we pray it through the Holy Rosary, imploring the intercession of the Mother of God for everyone who lives in our country and for the Venezuelans beyond our borders, for those who govern us and for all who hold any responsibility in the political, social, cultural and economic life of our homeland, so that we may work resolutely for the common good. On the CEV website, http://www.cev.org.ve/, you can find the full Novena and the statement from the Archdiocese of Caracas.

Those of us who are practicing Catholics know that the strength and power of prayer are unique, above all for one very important reason: prayer made with Love fills our hearts with Peace, even when we are going through the worst moment of our lives. We also know that the most powerful “weapon” we Catholics have is praying the Holy Rosary, because the Virgin, our Mother, intercedes before God in a very special way. I am sure that thousands of Catholics in every corner of the country and of the world will take up this call and pray this Novena as fervently as possible, so that Peace may reign in our country above any result, which only God, the Lord of History, knows.

I think today is a good moment to thank our Venezuelan Catholic Church for the example it has given during these years. The Catholic people have given a great example of prayer and unity in the churches and in massive demonstrations of faith with people from every social and political sector. Our Church leaders have given a great example of courage in speaking out against the injustices committed against many Venezuelans (especially political prisoners) and against every violation of human rights. They have given a great example of solidarity and support to thousands of Venezuelans who have lost loved ones to violence or who have been kidnapped, and this has given them the standing to demand that the authorities solve the serious problem of crime that affects us all alike. They have also given an extraordinary example of patience and fortitude in the face of the expropriations carried out against the Church. Not to mention their example of turning the other cheek in the face of acts of vandalism at the Archbishop’s Palace in Caracas and the Apostolic Nunciature, among others, and in the face of public insults, both in the speeches of some officials and on television programs known for their very foul language. Many of us Catholics have seen, with great sorrow, how our places of worship have been profaned for political propaganda, and those of us who know the Gospels have seen how the Word of God has been manipulated for political ends. We have suffered seeing our pastors suffer and wear themselves out day after day in ceaseless work and prayer for their flock; only those of us who are close to them know what that has meant.

Today, on behalf of the many Catholics all over Venezuela who are bringing God’s word and His Love to EVERYONE, I want to give thanks for the pastoral guidance that all our bishops (starting with our Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino) and our priests have given us, showing us that the best way to solve problems, besides doing what is directly up to us, is to pray a great deal, to be patient and to be sowers of peace and joy. Thank you for the Hope you have always passed on to us, which encourages us to keep going, knowing that whatever happens our Church will not be left alone but will grow ever stronger, because here we will remain, with God and the Virgin, working day and night to bring the Truth of Our Lord Jesus Christ to every corner of Venezuela. Because we are convinced that this is the only way we can build a country with true Justice and Peace for EVERYONE!