Catholic News

Here is a roundup of world news you might have missed this past week:

Major British archdiocese announces exit from social media platform

The Archdiocese of Liverpool announced this week that it would no longer post on X "due to ethical and moral reasons."

In the Feb. 6 post, the archdiocese said it would remain on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. The archdiocese has not returned by the time of publication EWTN News' request for clarification on the nature of the "ethical and moral" reasons it cited as reasons for the departure.

World Youth Day organizers use diplomatic channels to help attendees travel to Seoul

World Youth Day 2027 organizers held a meeting with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from 25 countries across the EU and Latin America on Feb. 4 to discuss establishing pathways for young people around the world to attend the event.

The deputy director of World Youth Day, Father Fabiano Rebeggiani, said the meeting, which took place at the Catholic University of Korea and was facilitated by the apostolic nunciature, was focused on supporting "young people who are already making great efforts to attend" through travel and visa challenges. "World Youth Day Seoul 2027 will offer young people a space to seek the truth, pray for peace, and share reconciliation and hope amidst realities marked by division," he said. The priest noted that the upcoming World Youth Day will be the first of its kind to be held in a non-Christian majority country.

Christian organizations call for release of Syrian mayor Suleiman Khalil

Marking one year since the arrest of Sadad, Syria's mayor, Suleiman Khalil, advocacy groups In Defense of Christians (IDC) and Christian Solidarity International (CSI) have renewed calls for his immediate release, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Wednesday.

In a joint statement, the groups said Khalil remains detained in the security wing of Homs Central Prison without formal charges and has been denied access to legal counsel or evidence related to his case. The statement also cited a deterioration in his health and restrictions on religious items, including a Bible and cross.

The organizations argue that his continued detention violates both Syria's constitutional declaration issued in March 2025 and international human rights law.

Khalil is remembered locally for his role in organizing the defense of the predominantly Christian town of Sadad during attacks by extremist groups in 2015. His daughter, speaking from the United States, described harsh prison conditions and limited family access, urging international intervention to secure his release.

New Hampshire bishop gifts Swiss Marian statue to Catholic Medical Center

Bishop Peter Libasci of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, gifted a hand-carved Swiss depiction of the Virgin Mary to the Catholic Medical Center in Manchester on Wednesday.

Libasci commissioned the statue of Our Lady of Einsiedeln from the Abbey of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, as a personal gift, according to local reports. The gesture coincided with the World Day of the Sick on Feb. 11 and the first anniversary of the Catholic Medical Center joining HCA Healthcare, a private U.S-founded health care provider. The statue has been placed in the Catholic Medical Center's lobby.

Patriarch Rai calls for prayers on feast of St. Maron

Presiding over the feast of St. Maron at St. George Cathedral in Beirut, in the presence of Lebanon's three top state officials and a broad assembly of clergy and faithful, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai underscored what he called the historic national mission of the Maronite community, ACI MENA reported Monday.

That mission, he said, is rooted in faith, attachment to the land, and a steady commitment to strengthening the foundations of the state and preserving coexistence.

Addressing political leaders directly, Rai called for the consolidation of arms under state authority, full implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the extension of full Lebanese sovereignty across the country. He also emphasized the need to empower the Lebanese Armed Forces, advance reconstruction, and pursue structural reforms.

In his closing prayer, the patriarch asked that Lebanon remain "a land of encounter and a space of hope" for all its citizens. President Joseph Aoun, for his part, expressed hope that the feast would serve as a unifying national occasion, recalling Lebanon's identity as a country of freedom and witness.

New Pontifical Missions building opened in Bangalore

The Catholic Bishops' Conference in India celebrated the grand opening of a new secretariat building for the Pontifical Mission Organizations nearly 27 years after the process for the new building began, according to a Feb. 9 Licas News report.

Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli presided over the opening festivities, including the ribbon cutting and unveiling of a plaque celebrating the building's completion. The new building has a chapel, six office rooms, a boardroom, documentation room, and media room. Over 170 bishops attended the ceremony for the building, which "is the cultivation of a process that began in 1999," according to the report.

As Lent and Ramadan coincide, Filipino bishop calls for peace, care for poor

Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo of Kidapawan, Philippines, shared a message ahead of the start of Lent and Ramadan on Feb. 18, calling for Catholic and Muslim faith communities to renew their commitments to peace and care for the poor.

"In a world marked by violence and division, this moment calls us not only to pray for peace but to live it and work for it," said Bagaforo, who is also co-president of global Catholic peace movement PAX Christi International.

Bagaforo, who serves as chairman of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Inter-Religious Dialogue, said the shared start date of two seasons of fasting "is a grace" that invites the faithful in both religions to prayer, repentance, and action for peace, justice, and care for the poor and the environment.

"In these sacred seasons, Muslims and Christians enter a time of prayer, fasting, repentance, and generosity. We turn our hearts to the merciful," he said. "We learn again to see one another as brothers and sisters. Our sacred texts call us to peace: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Mt 5:9), and God "invites all to the Home of Peace" (Qur'an 10:25).

Exposition on sacred art's place in liturgy to be blessed by 6 Orthodox bishops

Orthodox priest, researcher, and iconographer Father Rijo Geevarghese of the Diocese of Ahmedabad of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church will host a sacred art exposition inviting viewers "to a contemplative encounter with liturgical art."

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"The artworks are rooted in the liturgical life of the Church, drawing inspiration from Scripture, the Divine Liturgy, hymnography, and the patristic tradition," Geevarghese told EWTN News. "Rather than being merely aesthetic, each work is conceived as a visual theology, echoing the Church's understanding of art as an extension of worship."

Held at the Kanayi Kunhiraman Art Gallery, in Kerala, India, from Feb. 12–26, the event is titled "Mananam." Six senior bishops of the Orthodox church will be present at the opening of the exhibit, the priest shared, noting that the event "is intended to serve as a space of reflection for families, youth, and children alike."

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The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Broadview, Illinois, must accommodate Catholic clergy who wish to provide detainees with ashes and Communion on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, according to a federal court ruling.

Judge Robert W. Gettleman issued the Feb. 12 order in favor of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL), a nonprofit that helps facilitate Catholic services at ICE facilities among other initiatives. Its mission is rooted in liberation theology and focused on economic, environmental, racial, and social justice.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, denied repeated requests to administer the sacraments at the Broadview facility, including when clergy sought to bring Communion and pastoral care to immigration detainees on Christmas.

"The whole world has seen the injustices of our federal immigration system," Father Leandro Fossá, CS, a member of the CSPL Clergy Council, said in a statement.

"We are eager to see how the federal government responds to the injunction and restores the fundamental religious rights of people in detention to receive pastoral visits, rights that had been honored previously," he said.

The order states that the government has substantially burdened the religious exercise of the clergy and that there is no compelling government interest to justify that burden. The judge cited the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

"Allowing plaintiffs to provide pastoral care to migrants and detainees will improve the condition of those detained at Broadview," the judge's order states.

The judge ordered the government to permit ashes and Communion for Ash Wednesday and to coordinate with CSPL to establish an appropriate safety and security protocol. The order directs them to also meet and confer about future religious ministry at the facility.

Father Dan Hartnett, SJ, a member of the CSPL Clergy Council, expressed hope that this ruling will set a trend.

"The collective voices and faithful witness of Catholics and Christians in Chicago and across the country are making an impact," he said. "As Lent begins, we pray this ruling restores religious freedom for those detained and moves our country closer to justice in honoring the dignity of all migrants."

Pope Leo XIV said in November 2025 the spiritual rights of migrants in detention must be considered.

According to an CSPL statement, the nonprofit is awaiting a response from ICE about coordinating the Ash Wednesday services. Both priests and religious sisters are expected to visit the Broadview facility.

Neither ICE nor DHS immediately responded to a request for comment.

The Broadview facility is an ICE field office used to process detainees before being transferred to a detention center. Although detainees are only meant to be held there for a few hours, with the maximum being 72 hours, some alleged last year that they were held there for several days and even up to one week.

A large outdoor Mass with Scalabrinian Missionaries is set for Ash Wednesday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Melrose Park, led by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago. It will be followed by a procession through the Melrose Park community as participants say the rosary and sing as a sign of the Church's presence and solidarity with immigrant families.

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U.S. Catholic clergy are bringing the sacraments to the nation's immigrant detention centers, celebrating Masses and urging humane treatment for those held inside. As part of this effort, pastoral visits are aimed at ensuring detainees can access the Eucharist and receive spiritual support.

In California, Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno is set to celebrate Mass on Feb.?15 at the California City Detention Facility, the state's largest ICE center. While the diocese regularly provides sacraments in prisons and detention sites, this will be Brennan's first Mass inside an ICE facility.

In Oregon, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland issued a Feb.?12 statement stressing the Church's duty to safeguard detainees' access to the sacraments and voicing concern about large-scale deportations. "I just feel very strongly about this, that there has to be a better solution to solving the immigration problems we have in the United States," he said.

In December 2025, seven bishops celebrated Mass at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.

Chandler Marquez, director of public affairs and innovation at the Fresno Diocese, told EWTN News that there are "people who are in the facility [who] want the sacrament — they want the spiritual accompaniment," which they are not able to access as frequently while in detention.

Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Brian Nunes and Father Kris Sorenson, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in California City, will join for the Mass.

With President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts still ongoing, Marquez said "the current climate has certainly motivated" Brennan's decision to celebrate Mass at the facility. He said the bishop has been "vocal about the promotion of human dignity" for migrants.

In January 2025, Brennan issued an open letter on "immigration challenges," in which he said "it seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again" when he saw the uptick of immigration enforcement within his diocese.

"Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak," he said at the time. "That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to. It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong."

Marquez noted the diocese has the largest detention facility and the "largest amount of prisons and detention centers" in the state, which is why the ministry at prisons and detention centers is "a very, very big part of our diocese."

"Our chaplains have a great relationship with the prisons and detention centers within our dioceses," he said, adding that the diocese has not run into problems gaining access to the facilities to provide religious services.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which operates ICE, said it encourages clergy to request accommodations for religious services at long-term ICE detention centers.

Catholic clergy ran into obstacles several times last year when trying to administer sacraments at an ICE field office in Broadview, Illinois, where detainees are processed. A federal judge said Feb. 12 that DHS must provide accommodations to ensure Catholic clergy could provide ashes and Communion for detainees on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18.

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A group of senior European bishops on Friday issued an appeal urging Europe to "rediscover its soul" in response to what they described as a world "torn and polarized" by war and violence.

The text, published Feb. 13, said many citizens are "anguished and disoriented" and warned that the international order is under threat. In that context, the bishops said Europe must recover its spiritual identity in order to offer the wider world its "indispensable contribution" to the common good.

The appeal also recalls Christianity's historic role in shaping the continent, arguing that even if Christians are fewer in number today, they are still called to return "with courage and perseverance" to the foundation of their hope.

Looking back to the postwar period and the construction of the European Union, the bishops invoked the legacy of founding figures Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, and Alcide De Gasperi, describing them as architects of a "magnificent, though fragile" project inspired by their Christian faith. The text cites St. John Paul II's repeated emphasis on the role of Christians in building Europe, recalling his observation that the founders' love for Christ was inseparable from their commitment to humanity.

The bishops warned that Europe "cannot be reduced to an economic and financial market" without betraying the founders' original vision. They urged the continent to reject exclusivist forms of isolationism and violence, uphold the rule of law, and favor supranational solutions to conflicts through appropriate mechanisms and alliances.

Europe, they added, must remain ready to resume dialogue even amid conflict, working for reconciliation and peace. "An international framework is dying and a new one has yet to be born," the bishops wrote, arguing that the world still needs Europe — and that Christians, wherever they live, should make that urgency their own.

The text closes with a quotation attributed to Schuman: "Politics, when lived as a selfless service to the city and to the human person, can become an act of love toward one's neighbor." On the basis of their faith, the bishops said, Christians are called to share with all Europeans their hope for universal fraternity.

The appeal was signed by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, France, president of the French Bishops' Conference; Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi of Bologna, Italy, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference; Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, Germany, president of the German Bishops' Conference; and Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda of Gdansk, Poland, president of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Diocese of Brooklyn will pursue a broad settlement with more than 1,000 alleged victims of Church abuse, Bishop Robert Brennan said on Feb. 12, with a well-known California judge set to help mediate the process.

Unlike many U.S. dioceses that have faced hundreds of sex abuse claims and tens of millions of dollars in settlement costs, the Brooklyn Diocese has not filed for bankruptcy. But the diocese launched a compensation program in 2017, which Brennan in his Feb. 12 letter said has already paid "over 500 victim-survivors more than $100 million."

The diocese now "intends to pursue a global resolution of all approximately 1,100 remaining cases," Brennan wrote.

"We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials," the bishop said.

The diocese has consulted with attorneys representing abuse victims, he said. As well, Judge Daniel Buckley — a former judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County — will help mediate the process.

Buckley has previously worked with the archdioceses of both New York and Los Angeles in mediating their own settlements.

Massachusetts-based mediator Paul Finn will also work with the Brooklyn Diocese, Brennan said. Finn has mediated abuse settlements in Boston; Milwaukee; Rochester, New York, and elsewhere.

Brennan said the Brooklyn Diocese will engage in "cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors," a process he said will entail "difficult financial choices."

But "the diocese is committed to fairly compensating all meritorious claims," he said.

The diocese "continue[s] to pray for the victim-survivors, their families, and all others impacted by sexual abuse," the bishop wrote.

The news comes several months after the Archdiocese of New York revealed that it was aiming to raise more than $300 million for abuse survivors as part of its own "global settlement" with victims.

The archdiocese initiated staff layoffs and a 10% reduction in the archdiocese's operating budget, according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, as well as the "sale of significant real estate assets."

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The parish priest of St. Joseph Catholic Church of the Kaduna Archdiocese in Nigeria has confirmed the kidnapping of the parish catechist, his pregnant wife, and over 30 other people in a bandit attack.

In an interview with Arise television, Father Linus Matthew Bobai said the Feb. 9 attack forced residents of Kutaho and Kugir communities in the Aribi ward of Kagarko, local government area (LGA) of Kaduna state, to flee.

"Bandits abducted our catechist, his pregnant wife, and 32 others in Kagarko LGA," Bobai said of the attack that he claimed happened at midnight. "The community is under tension. Over 98% of people have gone to a nearby village. Those of us who slept in the village yesterday are not up to 40," he added.

Bobai said those who had not fled are helpless.

"We are handicapped. The community is under tension," the Nigerian priest said, adding: "This evening, many of them went away because of fear and all that."

"We are very tense. Some of us are afraid but we cannot run away because we are pastors, and we encouraged a few others to stay behind and look after the community," he said.

The attack reportedly occurred around 2 a.m. on Feb. 9, when armed bandits stormed the communities after earlier issuing threats and ransom demands to residents.

Bobai explained that despite warnings issued to community members to remain vigilant, the bandits returned as threatened, launching a coordinated attack while he was away in Kaduna procuring textbooks for St. Joseph School.

In parts of Kaduna state, residents reportedly continue to call for sustained security presence and proactive patrols to prevent further attacks.

On Jan. 20, Christin Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a U.K.-based human rights organization, called on Nigerian authorities to secure the release of 167 worshippers who had reportedly been abducted during coordinated attacks on three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna state.

CSW officials expressed concern that the Adara people of Kajuru LGA had especially been under sustained attack since their traditional ruler, the Agom Adara III, Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima, was abducted and murdered by Fulani assailants in 2018, despite payment of a ransom.

Officials of the Christian entity recounted that on Jan. 11, over 20 people were abducted from the community and were only freed after paying around 7 million Naira ($4,932) in ransom.

The entity further recounted that earlier, on Jan. 2, a church leader, Rev. Philip Adamu, was among four people who were abducted from Ungwan Danladi village in Kajuru LGA by assailants who spoke Fulfude, the Fulani language.

CSW officials described the repeated attacks as a failure of government responsibility, warning that rural communities are being driven deeper into poverty by ransom payments and forced displacement.

Attacks in Nigeria, most of them targeting Christian and farming communities, have prompted President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News English.

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Pope Leo XIV on Sunday will travel outside the Vatican to visit a Roman parish — the Basilica of Santa Maria Regina Pacis — in the seaside community of Ostia, about 17 miles southwest of the city's center.

A popular summer destination for tourists, Ostia will be the first of five parishes where the pope, as bishop of Rome, will celebrate Mass on Sundays in February and March.

The pastor of the church, Pallottine Father Giovanni Vincenzo Patanè, told EWTN News the area has its challenges, including drug dealing and prostitution, but there are also many positive initiatives worth highlighting.

"The pope's presence will help to shed light on these somewhat shady areas, but also to show that Ostia is not only what is often reported about crime and Mafia organizations, but that there is also a lot of good," the priest said.

According to Father Giulio Albanese, director of the Vicariate of Rome's social communications office, in Ostia, many people are having trouble making ends meet.

The Church in Ostia is helping to look after those who are struggling, including those in need, immigrants, and young people affected by drugs, he told EWTN News. "The Christian community is there to help them, to share with them the love of God."

Costantino, a homeless man who declined to give his last name, said he frequents the parish and has been a recipient of its charitable activities. "You must have faith. You can't lose it ... even in difficult moments," he said.

The town of Ostia also has an important connection to Pope Leo's order, the Augustinians, as the site of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica's, shared a mystical experience of eternal life. St. Monica died soon afterward and was buried in Ostia, though her tomb was later moved to Rome.

Pallottine Father Thomas Rzempoluch, assistant pastor of Santa Maria Regina Pacis, explained to EWTN News that the parish was first entrusted to the Augustinian order, which laid its foundation. But when they were unable to finish building the church, the Pallottine Fathers were asked to complete it.

"Our [rector general] at that time sent the Irish Pallottines all over America to take up collections to finish the church. So there's also an American connection here," he said.

Leo will be the third pope to visit the parish — Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis also celebrated Mass there during their pontificates.

"The community of Ostia is really so excited, not just our parish," parishioner Daniele Libertini said.

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Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley this week lamented the state's execution of convicted murderer Kendrick Simpson, urging prayers for an end to what he called the "inhumane" punishment of the death penalty.

Oklahoma executed Simpson on Feb. 12 for the 2006 murders of 20-year-old Glen Palmer and 19-year-old Anthony Jones. Simpson was convicted of killing the two in a shooting outside of an Oklahoma City nightclub.

Simpson's execution came after the state's Pardon and Parole Board voted against his clemency petition. The U.S. Supreme Court similarly rejected his appeal. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. on Feb. 12.

Coakley in a statement on X said the execution — coming shortly after the state's March for Life — "brought into stark reality just how much work remains" for pro-life advocates in the state.

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"Heinous crimes should not go unpunished and our compassion and support for the victims and their loved ones is necessary," the archbishop said, urging the faithful to "pray for those left behind [who are] often dealing with incomprehensible grief."

Yet "the intentional killing of the perpetrator cannot heal those terrible wounds," Coakley said, arguing that the "pain and loss of one death cannot be extinguished by another violent death."

"The death penalty is inhumane and a poor method of punishment, standing in opposition to our duty to respect and value all human life and cherish God's plan for humankind, which includes merciful justice and the opportunity for the redemption of the soul," he said.

Coakley has long been an outspoken opponent of the death penalty, having regularly called for its abolition while arguing that it "only contributes to the continued coarsening of society and to the spiral of violence."

Oklahoma, meanwhile, has for years been among the most execution-heavy states in the country; it is first among states in executions per capita and seconded only by Texas in total numbers of executions.

Coakley himself is among the numerous U.S. prelates who regularly advocate against capital punishment in their respective states. The Death Penalty Information Center says that 23 states and the District of Columbia have abolished capital punishment.

The archbishop on Feb. 12 urged the faithful to join him in "praying for an end to the death penalty in our state and nationwide."

He also urged prayers "for the victims, Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones, and their families, as well as Kendrick Simpson and his family."

Simpson himself had openly confessed to the murders ahead of his execution as part of his clemency plea before the state board.

At the hearing he also addressed the families of his victims, telling them directly: "I apologize for murdering your sons."

"I don't make any excuses, I don't blame others, and they didn't deserve what happened to them," he said.

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Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González signed into law on Feb. 12 a bill amending the penal code to recognize unborn babies as human beings at "any stage of gestation."

Senate Bill 923 — which when signed became Law 18-2026 — amends Article 92 of the penal code, which currently states that "murder is the intentional, knowing, or reckless killing of a human being."

The new law establishes that "for the purposes of this chapter, 'human being' shall include any conceived [unborn child] at any stage of gestation within the mother's womb."

This legislation was authored by González, a Republican. In a press release posted on X, she explained that the objective is to complement Law 166-2025, known as the Keyshla Madlane Law, named after a pregnant woman in Puerto Rico who was murdered in April 2021.

This law, the press release states, "among other things, defines as first-degree murder the intentional and knowing killing of a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother's womb."

In this regard, the approval of Law 18-2026 stands out, noting that "the legislation aims to maintain consistency between civil and criminal provisions by recognizing the conceived unborn child as a human being."

In December 2025, the governor also signed into law Senate Bill 504, which amended the civil code to state that "a human being in gestation or nasciturus is a natural person, including the conceived child at any stage of gestation within the mother's womb."

A natural person simply means a living human being as distinct from a legal person such as a corporation.

At the time, all of these laws were criticized by feminist and pro-abortion groups, who argued that they could lead to a ban on abortion in Puerto Rico and other U.S. jurisdictions.

However, Puerto Rico Sen. Joanne Rodríguez Veve defended the passage of Bill 923 in January, stating that "the message of this type of legislation is powerful. It reaffirms this kind of language in our public policy that in the womb of a pregnant woman there is not just anything, not a mere indefinable object, but a subject, a developing human being who has dignity and whose value is intrinsic to their human nature."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The bishops of Venezuela said they seek to convey "a message of hope" to their fellow citizens amid "the anxieties and fears" the situation in the country is generating, especially after the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3.

Through a new apostolic exhortation, titled "Your Light Will Break Forth Like the Dawn" (Is 58:8), the bishops summarized the reflections of their 125th ordinary plenary assembly, held Feb. 4–9 in Caracas.

In the document, the bishops quoted Pope Leo XIV from his Jan. 4 Angelus prayer in which he affirmed that "the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace."

Solidarity with political prisoners and their families

The Venezuelan bishops emphasized that the country in recent years has experienced a profound economic, social, and political crisis, within which "violations of human and civil rights, including freedom of expression and the right to due process and defense," have become particularly prominent.

In this regard, they reaffirmed "their closeness and solidarity" with the more than 600 political prisoners currently being held in Venezuela and with their families. The bishops described the hundreds of releases that have occurred since Jan. 3 as "a positive sign" and called for the full release of those still detained or those released from prison with restrictions.

"We are following with interest the proposal and the process for approving a general amnesty law, which must necessarily be broad and inclusive, the result of extensive consultation with all sectors of civil society. It would be an important step toward embarking on the long and difficult road to national reconciliation and the restoration of social and democratic coexistence," the bishops stated.

Furthermore, they joined the demands of various sectors of Venezuelan society for the repeal of laws "that restrict fundamental rights enshrined in the national constitution and international conventions," especially those related to freedom of expression.

Guaranteeing national sovereignty

Once again, the bishops reiterated that popular sovereignty, as expressed in the results of the July 28, 2024, presidential elections, was disregarded by the socialist regime.

Following the election, the campaign organization for Edmundo González, who ran against Maduro for president, said that they had over 70% of the voting tallies from the polling stations that proved González won by a wide margin. However, the National Electoral Council controlled by the entrenched socialist government of Maduro declared Maduro the winner with 51% of the vote.

The consequences of this culminated in the capture of Maduro by U.S. forces on drug trafficking charges, which, although some have interpreted it as a violation of international law, others believe opens "paths to achieving the democratization of the country," the prelates stated.

"For several years, Venezuela has suffered undue interference from external factors that have seriously affected its sovereignty," they said, calling on state actors to take the necessary actions to "guarantee sovereignty and self-determination over our destiny."

Building the future with special attention to the poorest

To build a future of justice and peace, the bishops said it is necessary to achieve a national reconciliation in which citizens can identify themselves "as one people, making it once again a place of opportunities for progress and happiness, especially for the poorest."

"We must strengthen the family as the primary place for the integral development of individuals and society, and overcome the barriers that prevent us from building the reality of "we" as a nation with the participation and inclusion of all sectors of the country," they affirmed.

"It is necessary to promote spaces for dialogue that lead to a broad national agreement on the future we want to build," they noted.

A fundamental aspect for achieving this task, the prelates said, is overcoming the "impoverishment that currently afflicts a majority of the population" and which has been one of the main causes of the exodus of millions of Venezuelans.

To help achieve this goal, they recalled the commitment of the Catholic Church, in its various forms, to be an entity that fosters "encounter, listening, and accompaniment" and that produces "clear and credible signs of fraternity and reconciliation."

"We invite everyone to find in daily prayer light and strength to face with determination the situation we are experiencing today," they stated, asking Venezuelans to intensify their acts of piety during Lent.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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