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Venezuela: Pro-Chavez Catholics under fire

by rahul | July 5, 2008 at 10:28 pm | 499 views | 9 comments

Relations between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the local Catholic Church has not been easy. It has been paved with numerous clashes and little cooperation. It became rather extreme after members of the Opus Dei and conservative side of the local Catholic Church promoted and backed the 2002 coup against a democratically elected Chavez. Then, it also backed and protected a student leader, Nixon Moreno, accused of attempting rape against a female police officer during protests in Merida, Western Venezuela. This student still remains under the protection of the Catholic Church to avoid legal charges and possible jail. In addition, many members of the opposition party Primero Justicia were members of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). On the other hand, the socialist political project of the current Chavez administration was akin to the Marxist interpretation of the bible promoted by the Liberation Theology movement. Now, this new Catholic Movement is under fire from conservative leaders of the traditional Catholic Church in Venezuela. The debate and the battles continues just like during the time of the Spanish colony when Simon Bolivar objected its alliance to colonial rule.

Pro-Chavez Catholics under fire

By James Ingham
BBC News, Caracas

Mr Chavez has clashed with the Catholic Church in the past

Religious leaders in Venezuela have criticised a recently formed church that openly backs President Hugo Chavez's socialist politics.
The Reformed Catholic Church was set up by a group of Anglicans and Catholics who wanted to put more emphasis on helping the poor.
But the ruling body of the Catholic Church says its members are criminals who are trying to divide the Church.
The Church and the government have been in frequent conflict in Venezuela.
Catholicism is practised widely in Venezuela, but the new group's open support for President Chavez's socialist policies is deepening those divisions.
Feathers ruffled
The Reformed Catholic Church was set up by a group of priests from a mixed background.
It has a small following - several thousand people in the west the country.
But despite its size, its philosophy has ruffled a few feathers.
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, the ruling council of the Catholic Church, has described the founders as delinquents.
Its vice president, Archbishop Roberto Luckert, has accused the new organisation of taking government money and mixing politics with religion.
But Enrique Albornoz, who was appointed as the Reformed Church's first bishop last week, denies the allegations.
"We support the work the government is doing for the poor," he told the BBC, "but we don't take any political line."

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Luiz Castro

at 22:55 on July 5th, 2008

That is not new, I have seen that before:

Although initially these new religions were separate and disorganized entities, they eventually came under the umbrella of what was known as the German Faith Movement. Hitler saw in the German Faith Movement a mechanism for transmitting and reinforcing the National Socialist worldview; "He shaped its followers into a disciplined political force but dismissed its leaders later when they were no longer needed,"

rahul

at 23:27 on July 5th, 2008

It is rather telling you must have been indoctrinated by such conservative catholic movements. The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) was inspired by the work of the Brazilian Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira who wrote Revolution and Counter-Revolution in 1959. He also founded the Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) in 1960 and served as president of its national council until his death in 1995.

Luiz Castro

at 23:50 on July 5th, 2008

You are a twister. How can you guess on my believes? Typical fascist totalitarian behavior, attack, attack attack.

Buy a mirror Mr. Chavista, you love to attack Brazil, what do I care about TFP? Why don't you follow the King of Spain advice?

You said "the socialist political project of the current Chavez administration was akin to the Marxist interpretation of the bible promoted by the Liberation Theology movement" .How dare a government can ask someone to believe in something? Is that your model of democratic society?

Luiz Castro

at 23:49 on July 5th, 2008

I can't believe on that.

rahul

at 23:50 on July 5th, 2008

Thanks for beeing my most devoted reader. However, all your previous comments are not only published but rather telling!

Luiz Castro

at 23:51 on July 5th, 2008

Yes, I like you, and you know that!

Criticom

at 14:01 on August 1st, 2008

Chavez is a Marxist despot and his only goal is stay forever. He doesn't care for churches.

rahul

at 15:12 on August 1st, 2008

What a twisted comment which forgets intolerant Catholic Church doings in the world like inquisition. It also misleads readers by forgetting there is in Latin America an old Marxist interpretation of the bible called Theology of Liberation. Finally, it passes ideological bias by omitting comments on the Vatican policy towards sexually molested children by Catholic priests.

Criticom

at 18:41 on August 1st, 2008

Marxism was even worst, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, how many did they kill?

Victims of Stalin's deliberately engineered famines.

Ukrainian authorities have reburied near the capital, Kiev, the bodies of some 2,000 people killed by the Soviet secret police more than 60 years ago.