Pope Francis will meet in Colombia with the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, (VEC) announced Bishop Rigoberto Corredor of the Diocese of Pereira, in the west of Colombia.
In radio statements picked up by the Colombian media, Bishop Corredor said August 29, 2017, “it is foreseen that the Venezuelan Bishops will come. I don’t know if the whole Episcopal Conference or just a group,” adding that they already met with the Holy Father in Rome a few months ago. “Now it’s important, if this meeting is held, to review the situation of the people of God in Venezuela and the Venezuelan people,” specified Bishop Corredor, as reported by “Venevision” news.
Reflected in this meeting will be “the goodness of the Pope towards the Venezuelan Bishops” in that country, which he described as “special” given that the Latin American country is suffering “many sorrows and difficulties.”
The Holy See issued a press release on the situation in Venezuela, after the vote of the Constituent Assembly imposed by Nicolas Maduro. Earlier, a letter was sent on December 1, 2016, by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, requesting measures for Venezuela to alleviate the grave crisis in the supply of food and medicines, the restitution as soon as possible of the National Assembly, new elections and the release of political detainees, which he called “political prisoners.”
The members of the Executive of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, made up of six Bishops, met last June 8, 2017 with Pope Francis in the Vatican, after requesting an audience to inform him of the situation of the country (Read the article in ZENIT). During the meeting the Bishops handed the Pope a report on the deaths caused by the repression of the protests in the streets.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
