It has been almost a month since the double earthquake in Venezuela, a tragedy that has mourned thousands of people with more than 5,346 dead, 16,740 injured, and 17,907 affected.
Even in the midst of these circumstances, the bishops have highlighted the tireless solidarity of hundreds of volunteers, especially “that of the poor people who have undoubtedly been the main Samaritan.”
“We are shaken and taught by the heroism of those who have risked their lives to rescue many from the ruins from the very first minute of the catastrophe, the sacrifice of mothers who have sustained the lives of their children during prolonged and distressing days,” they stated.
They also thanked the international delegations, who “have shown us that all men are brothers beyond borders and flags. There is God. For this and for other forms of true compassion, we bless God.”
Hope and indignation
The prelates invited everyone to share in the pain of the victims to “always carry in the heart and in memory the cries of the fathers and mothers who have lost their children, the tears of so many orphaned children, the anguish of those who have searched for days among the rubble for their loved ones”.
They invited not to lose hope, reminding that “God is also in all the Samaritans who, like Jesus, help those in need”, but they have also called for firmness in the face of injustices.
“Reconstruction also requires us to echo the indignation of the victims of the earthquakes who were neglected by public institutions. As we have said above, natural disasters are unpredictable; but it is the duty of state institutions to be prepared to face them,” they pointed out.
They also reminded that there are other affected regions besides the coast of La Guaira. There are human losses and considerable material damage in some areas of Caracas and the States of Aragua, Miranda, Carabobo, and Falcón.
“This natural catastrophe adds to the already difficult social, political, and economic conditions in which national life unfolds,” they lamented.
Download the statement here:
Pastoral Message from the Venezuelan Bishops docx.pdf
Download the statement here:
Pastoral Message from the Venezuelan Bishops docx.pdf
Believer's reading
The Venezuelan bishops have repudiated the expressions of some sectors, who “guided by superstition and fundamentalism, have claimed that earthquakes are a punishment from God.”
These statements are unacceptable from every point of view; it is a manipulation because "earthquakes, like other natural disasters, are phenomena that respond to the changing nature of the universe and the planet we live on."
While it is true that a faithful reading of these events must be made to understand what God asks of us on a personal and community level, "it is not correct to attribute them to a punishing superior will."
Holy Eucharist for the souls of the deceased
The Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (Celam), through the General Secretariat, will join this call, so on the morning of July 24, it will celebrate a Eucharist.
They thanked Pope Leo XIV for his closeness, always "very attentive to the current situation" as well as to all the episcopates of the continent, since "solidarity is born precisely when we decide not to remain indifferent to what happens to our time."
They also invited all the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebrations throughout the country on July 24, marking one month since the earthquakes, for the souls of the deceased from that catastrophe, for all the other victims, and for the entire homeland.
The Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (Celam), through the General Secretariat, will join this call, so on the morning of July 24, it will celebrate a Eucharist, presided over by its deputy secretary, Eric García.
