Archbishop Ubaldo Santana of Maracaibo and president of the Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela said this week that the Church wishes to learn more details about President Chavez’s proposed constitutional changes.

“We want to know more about the proposal made by the President, to study it and participate in some kind of discussions, always with the idea of assessing what the common good is and how citizens can live together, so that we can have a constitution that has the greatest possible consensus,” the archbishop said.

He emphasized the importance of public opinion regarding the proposals, “Because it is fundamental that all Venezuelans feel they are represented, taken into consideration and are co-participants in the building of their country. There are institutional mechanisms for the people to express their opinions,” Archbishop Santana said.