Caracas, Venezuela, Dec 14, 2007 / 15:19 pm
The rector of the Venezuelan College at the Vatican, Father Pedro Freites, said the situation of violence, the violation of human rights and the verbal attacks on the Church by officials of the Hugo Chavez are being closely followed by the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is aware of the repercussions the situation could have for peace in Venezuela.
“The Vatican Secretariat of State here is very aware of the serious danger of this kind of attitude for the peace and stability of a country,” Father Freites told Union Radio. He stressed that a “profound and sad concern” exists over the continual threats, “the excesses, the violation of human rights, the subjugation of the population, and most especially we are saddened by the coarse, aggressive and offensive language.”
Father Freites noted that the threats and attacks against Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas have awakened the solidarity of Pope Benedict XVI, who sent a letter to the cardinal this week expressing his spiritual closeness to the besieged prelate.
He also criticized the Chavez government for being incapable of solving the most pressing and urgent issues facing Venezuelans and instead focusing on the irresponsible distribution of the resources of Venezuelans “in the name of a revolutionary political project.”