Maduro loyalists target Church and invade Caracas Mass

Catholic Churches and clergy in Venezuela have been targeted in a wave of protests by pro-government supporters, after the Bishops’ Conference spoke out against the actions of President Nicolás Maduro, writes Martha Pskowski.

In the latest incident, on 12 April, pro-Maduro protesters entered a church in Caracas where Cardinal Jorge Urosa was saying a pre-Easter Mass. A scuffle broke out as the protesters tried to approach the Cardinal, before members of the congregation intervened to stop the attack.

During his sermon, Cardinal Urosa condemned Mr Maduro’s policies. “We must keep calm, acting in a rational manner, seeking the understanding of others,” he said.

“We have said this in many recent messages issued by our Bishops’ Conference: we must defend our rights and the rights of others, but without resorting to violence, instead following the Constitution and the laws of our country.”

At least five people have died in the anti-government protests of the past three weeks in Caracas and several other cities, after the Government banned the opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, from running for office for 15 years.

Mr Capriles, who has run twice as a presidential candidate, is seen as the opposition’s best hope of defeating Mr Maduro in elections scheduled for next year.

The Church has become an increasingly visible target in the protests. Last month, the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference called for “peaceful civil disobedience” to restore constitutional order, after a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to strip the opposition-controlled parliament of its powers.

Meanwhile, in the north-central state of Aragua, a Franciscan brother was killed in an apparent robbery on Monday 10 April. Fr Diego Bedoya, a Colombian, had served the Church in Venezuela for more than 15 years at the time of his death.

He worked at a shelter in Aragua for elderly people and children with disabilities.