It has been one month since the US shocked the world with its lightning capture of Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro. Many in Venezuela approved of the dictator's removal but remain wary about the power vacuum created by his absence.
Venezuelan national, Edgar Beltrán, is the Vatican correspondent and investigative journalist for the Catholic news website, The Pillar.
To better understand the position of the Catholic Church in a post-Maduro Venezuela, he says, we need to understand how the country's bishops are facing the situation.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
Not to say that they don't speak of the situation, but they're more careful. They usually, with exceptions, they usually speak as a body. So, usually, they publish joint pastoral letters in which they usually denounce the human rights situation in the country, they speak of this. They call for freedom for elections, for example, usually as a bishop's body.
The emeritus Archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Baltazar Porras, is an exception. His personal and outspoken criticism of the Venezuelan government has often set him apart from his fellow bishops.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
And that's why the government doesn't like him. For example, back in December, the government prevented him from leaving the country, even though he has a Vatican passport, which is a diplomatic crisis, I would say, simply because they said his Venezuelan passport was canceled.
Cardinal Porras echoes popular sentiment among many Catholics in Venezuela. Even if his brother bishop choose to express their dissent in private, several, but not all, support him.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
Now, there's certainly a small split, I wouldn't say it's a polarization within the Church, because I think the majority of bishops and priests are in the same line that I just mentioned, but there are small, a few, but significant bishops and priests who prefer a different approach. You have Archbishop Biord in Caracas who has been accused of being overly friendly with the regime. He's been said to be friends with Nicolas Maduro's son, who's the government liaison for religious affairs.
Tensions between Cardinal Porras and his successor came to a head when Archbishop Biord ordered him to leave his residence and canceled his pension.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
And there's a complete split between the two of them now. And of course, a lot of people in Venezuela are not happy about that.
Personal tensions aside, the Church in Venezuela continues to play an important role in people's lives. This is especially significant in a country where everything is politicized.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
Whereas the Church has remained mostly independent, and the church has remained a very important and strong voice of the moral consciousness in Venezuela, of the defense of human rights, of human dignity, of freedom in the country. So the role is very significant, the Church has a very significant role, in this regard.
That's why, in the wake of Maduro's capture, the absence of that “strong voice” has generated both disappointment and confusion.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
I would say in Venezuela it's a very interesting situation because the church has usually been very outspoken against the regime. The Church, the bishops, but especially parish priests, you know, they're some of the bravest men I know. They celebrate vigils, prayer vigils for human rights; they preach in their Masses against human rights abuses in the country; they pray for the defense of the students that have been protesting; they pray for the release of political prisoners; they join the families who are waiting for the release of political prisoners. So they're a very significant pastoral presence.
That presence was particularly evident in 2024 when political opposition intensified following the presidential election that Maduro falsely claimed he'd won. And that's why, after his capture, there were high expectations for what the bishops would say.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
The bishops they published a very short statement a day after the U. S. capture of Maduro, very vague...
We don't know where this is going yet. So I think the silence of the bishops in this regard is prudent, you know, because I wouldn't say there's a single position that unifies the country's Catholics or just the people in the country.
Prudence is a key word, especially when it comes to navigating Church-State relations. But Beltrán is convinced that, sooner or later, the Venezuelan bishops will find their voice.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
I think that when the time is right, the bishops are going to call for, probably going to call for free or fair elections, for the return of the exiles, for the release — well, they're already calling for the release — of all political prisoners in the country, and for freedom of speech.
When the bishops do decide to speak out, either individually or together, it will be to consolidate the Church's integral role for the country.
EDGAR BELTRÁN
Vatican Correspondent, The Pillar
The Church of Venezuela has been incredibly resilient. Despite the difficult situation in the country, most seminaries in the country have good numbers of seminarians, good numbers of vocations. So, I think this is a very good opportunity to revitalize the Church, vocationally speaking, and apostolically speaking, so the Church can be a prophetic witness of a free Venezuela.
The voice of the Catholic Church anywhere is prophetic by nature. And, when it does break the silence, Venezuela will be no exception.
