{"id":153982,"date":"2019-04-02T00:01:39","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T22:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vincentians.com\/en\/?p=153982"},"modified":"2019-04-01T19:18:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-01T17:18:24","slug":"vincentian-family-statement-of-solidarity-with-the-people-of-venezuela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/vincentians.com\/en\/vincentian-family-statement-of-solidarity-with-the-people-of-venezuela\/","title":{"rendered":"Vincentian Family Statement of Solidarity with the People of Venezuela"},"content":{"rendered":"

To all the members of the Vincentian Family (VF) in the world, and especially to our brothers and sisters in Venezuela, we express our concern and our solidarity in the face of the dramatic situation Venezuelans are experiencing in their country.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

We are aware of the painful situation of injustice and suffering of the Venezuelan people due to the lack of what is necessary for a dignified and productive life, and\u00a0their\u00a0defenselessness before\u00a0the growing injustice. We\u00a0pray\u00a0that the Venezuelan people maintain hope in the search for a peaceful and transparent socio-political and economic\u00a0change. We also pray\u00a0that this will lead the country to\u00a0regain\u00a0its\u00a0full\u00a0democracy, to achieve the recovery of the Rule of Law, the reconstruction of the social fabric, free\u00a0economic\u00a0production,\u00a0and a national reconciliation in this always peaceful nation.<\/p>\n

In this time of conflict, we\u00a0call for the protection of the individual and collective rights as upheld in the national constitution and\u00a0that\u00a0international protocols\u00a0be respected. We are greatly moved by the unbearable reality of the poor: growing famine, the inability to access medicines, depressed wages due to the ever-rising inflation, generalized insecurity and violence, the lack of access to jobs and\u00a0adequate housing, etc. Faced with this humanitarian crisis the Vincentian Family would like to make ourselves present not only through solidarity in prayer and spiritual accompaniment, but also with help that relieves some of the pain of the most abandoned.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0people of faith\u00a0and brothers\/sisters\u00a0in\u00a0our common\u00a0charism, we want to walk closely with\u00a0the Venezuelan people\u00a0on this long and painful way of the cross towards\u00a0the fullness of Life (John 10:10). We would like\u00a0to help\u00a0them\u00a0feel close to the God of Life\u00a0through\u00a0our compassionate embrace, our tireless prayer, and an international\u00a0Vincentian\u00a0aid campaign in favor of the poorest in the country as well as through the programs our\u00a0Vincentian\u00a0Family has in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

We acknowledge all the members of the Vincentian Family who have developed their life and mission in the country. We know that\u00a0their\u00a0reality has forced them to extreme creativity in the service of the charism. We want to humbly join the many networks of solidarity and compassion that are\u00a0focused\u00a0on the increasing pain of the Venezuelan people.<\/p>\n

At this crucial moment in the history of this brother country, we invite all the members of the Vincentian Family to join us in this gesture of communion and solidarity, each from their own abilities and areas of\u00a0expertise.<\/p>\n

We also invite our Vincentian Family networks to welcome, protect and support all the Venezuelans migrating around the world. Close to 5 million Venezuelans today are refugees experiencing very dramatic conditions in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Brasil, and other countries especially in the Americas and Europe.<\/p>\n

We join in the desire and appeal that Pope Francis has made\u00a0for\u00a0the transformation of the country to happen without bloodshed\u00a0and that this rebirth will lead to the total reconciliation of the country and the remediation of the broken tissues of society, from the expansion of opportunities for integral human development and from the reactivation of the values \u200b\u200bof peace and justice.<\/p>\n

We trust in the God of history. He is the God of salvation and the liberating Jesus who tells us: \u201cDo not be afraid, I will be with you every day until the end of the world\u201d (Mt 28, 20). May Mary of Coromoto, national patron, protect Venezuela always, as we express our deepest solidarity! St. Vincent de Paul, and all our Vincentian Saints and Blesseds, pray for us!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Message from Father Toma\u017e Mavri\u010d, president of the Executive Committee of the Vincentian Family:<\/h2>\n