Lk 21:28:
“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
STATEMENT OF THE PASSIONIST COMMUNITIES OF VENEZUELA
(Barquisimeto, Maracay, and Caracas)
Dear brothers of the SCOR Province,
from the heart of this “Land of Grace,” which today is going through hours of deep anguish and trial, the communities of Barquisimeto, Maracay, and Caracas extend to you a fraternal greeting and a report on our current situation following the start of the military intervention and the bombardments carried out by United States forces on national territory.
We wish to reassure the Province by informing you that all the brothers of the three communities are physically and spiritually well, although we do not deny that we are somewhat frightened; nonetheless, we are well.
The intensity of the events, however, has varied according to geographical location:
Caracas (Santa Eduvigis) and Maracay (La Inmaculada): due to our strategic proximity to military bases, we have experienced the tension in a direct and deeply unsettling way. The impact of the operations has been felt with particular force in our immediate surroundings.
Barquisimeto: remains on alert, sharing in the general concern of the country.
Since 2:22 a.m. this Saturday, when the events began, we have maintained a constant communication network among ourselves to monitor our safety and to provide mutual support.
Following the attacks, the country has entered a “silent and tense calm.” We are living through decisive hours, marked by a lack of representativeness in governmental power, placing us in a scenario of total uncertainty in which any outcome is possible.
Sadly, the bombardments in various parts of the country have caused human casualties that have not yet been officially reported, increasing the pain and distress of our people.
Despite the risk, for tomorrow, Sunday, we intend to maintain the liturgical celebrations in our parishes. We are convinced that our people, today more than ever, need spaces for prayer, consolation, and encounter with the Eucharist. However, this decision remains subject to the evolution of events and to the safety of the faithful and the religious where we are located.
We ask you not to cease in your supplication for Venezuela. May the Passion of Jesus Christ, which today is made present in the suffering of this people, be our strength. May the Lord grant us peace and wisdom so that we may be beacons of hope amid this darkness.
United at the foot of the Cross, with the hope of the Resurrection.
Fraternally,
The Passionist Communities of Venezuela
Barquisimeto | Maracay | Caracas
