The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) inaugurated its 126th Ordinary Plenary Assembly on Monday, October 19, at the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas. The bishops will reflect on the national reality following the earthquakes and on the new political and social era opened after the capture of Nicolás Maduro, according to EWTN News.
The assembly, which runs until October 23, had been postponed since July due to the earthquakes of June 24, which struck the country’s northern coast. The Venezuelan Church then called for prayer for the victims and, one week later, coordinated a new phase of aid to the affected areas.
A “synodal tone”
The president of the CEV and archbishop of Valencia, Bishop Jesús González de Zárate, welcomed the participants together with the board of directors and the apostolic nuncio, Bishop Alberto Ortega Martín. According to EWTN News, González de Zárate emphasized the “synodal tone” of the assembly and called for “a special and constant effort of unity.”
In his remarks on the country’s situation, the president of the CEV noted that the expectations that emerged after January 3 have been fading, as they have not yet translated into economic improvements or a clear transition toward democratization. He invited participants to overcome divisions and work for reconciliation in order to jointly face the challenges Venezuela is experiencing.
The agenda includes the criteria and instruments for the national and continental synodal assemblies scheduled for next year, as preparation for the ecclesial assembly of October 2028. The bishops will also accompany the dioceses affected by the earthquakes, with the participation of Caritas Venezuela, study new statutes for the Conference, and address matters related to the Jubilee Year of Coromoto.
For his part, the nuncio recalled the first anniversary of the canonization of St. José Gregorio Hernández and St. Mother Carmen Rendiles and stated: “God does not abandon us.” According to EWTN News, the president of the CEV spoke with Pope Leo XIV on October 7, and the bishops are praying for his recovery after the surgery he underwent the previous week.
Pastoral exhortation
At the conclusion of the sessions on Friday, October 23, the bishops will publish a pastoral exhortation with their conclusions, according to EWTN News.
The CEV had already spoken out on the country’s situation at the beginning of the year. On January 3, it issued a message of prayer, unity, and rejection of violence and, in February, during its previous assembly, it published the exhortation “Your light will break forth like the dawn”, in response to the social, political, and economic crisis.