Archbishop Porras denies government spin that Church in Venezuela is divided

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Vheadline Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Speaking in the Canary Islands city of Tenerife, Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) president, Monsignor Baltazar Porras has complained about the Venezuelan government's attacks on the Catholic Church, especially its attempt to present the Church in Venezuela as a divided church. "There is no internal confrontation but just a few priests and pseudo leaders that are playing the division game." 

Porras calls the Venezuelan government "authoritarian" and says the Church can play a role as mediator in helping to solve the conflict. 

Speaking at a congress on faith and culture dialog, Porras insists that the Church is a witness to the increase in poverty, corruption and politicking in Chavez Frias administration. "The Church favors neither the government nor the opposition and militancy in either camp is outside our horizon of aspirations." 

Porras comments that he does not agree with the government when it states that there is freedom of expression in Venezuela and no political prisoners ... "what is at play in Venezuela are much deeper values that must be present in any society that wants to call itself democratic."