Pope Francis and Venezuela, his words and more

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These are the words that Pope Francis said during the Angelus on Sunday, August 4, about the situation in Venezuela, which he described as “of vital importance.”

“In the same vein, I express my concern for Venezuela, which is experiencing a critical situation. I sincerely call on all parties to seek the truth, maintain moderation, avoid all forms of violence, resolve disputes through dialogue, and care about the real interests of the people rather than partisan interests.

Let us entrust this country to the intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto, loved and revered by the Venezuelan people, and to the prayers of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, whose image unites us all.”

Many expressed disagreement and disgust at what they saw as an ambiguous stance that ultimately obscured the pope’s close relationship with the Maduro regime.

This is an opinion. In my opinion, it is unfounded and very wrong, but I am not going to discuss it here.

I offer some other factors to allow for a more considered judgment. I do so without much hope, because, apart from the dramatic situation in our beautiful brotherly country, our passions are inflamed and our blindness runs deep.

Unlike many of us who bravely fight online, Pope Francis, like his nuncio to Caracas and the bishops of Venezuela, does have real and concrete responsibilities. And they are also about real and concrete people in the drama.

They do not have the luxury of angry bravado, seeking their own political gain, some aura of vigilanteism or moral superiority, as many rulers or ourselves do.

The Holy See and its diplomatic work are for the real good of the people, answerable to conscience before God, and not to public opinion or the mass media, which today take an interest in a topic, deal with it until they have exhausted their time for a few days, and then act busy with another thing as if nothing had happened.

The cautious and even minimal words of the Bishop of Rome must always be combined with the words of other ecclesial actors who are truly involved. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a strategy of unity and convergence will be sought.

If not, let us look at the statements made by the two Venezuelan cardinals who demand the honest publication of reliable data on the elections, as has been said by the Synod itself, the CELAM Declaration, and even by the Ibero-American Bishops who have spoken out (among them those of our country).

But the diplomacy of the Holy See and, more generally, the intervention of the Church on all the subjects that make it up and that are activated in these cases, can first of all be seen not necessarily in declarations, but in the “actions” performed. Some are visible, others less so and some we will never hear about.

If not, let’s look at what the documents obtained by researchers show us about the behavior of the Catholic Church during the last Argentine dictatorship. They are collected in three volumes published by UCA in The Truth Will Set Them Free. Whatever moral judgments we make about the behavior of this complex actor of the Church (the Holy See, the Nunciature, bishops and individual bishops, the laity, priests and consecrated persons), the fact is that – in such a dramatic moment – everyone was moved and many sometimes silently looked for various channels to intervene, even if the results were not the best.

All of this should make us more cautious, even humble, in the judgments we make. I am amazed that Catholics I know and admire would dare to make rash, unappealable, and absolute judgments, especially about the Pope, because of what the Bishop of Rome means to our Catholic faith.

May the Holy Spirit grant us all wisdom and generosity of heart!
May God watch over our Venezuelan brothers and may they grow up in peace and freedom!