{"id":5945,"date":"2014-04-02T19:53:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T19:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/holy-see-refraining-from-mediation-in-venezuelan-violence\/"},"modified":"2014-04-02T19:53:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T19:53:00","slug":"holy-see-currently-refraining-from-mediation-in-venezuelan-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/04\/holy-see-currently-refraining-from-mediation-in-venezuelan-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Holy See currently refraining from mediation in Venezuelan violence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Vatican City, Apr 2, 2014 \/ 01:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- The Holy See press officer Fr. Federico Lombardi explained Tuesday that the Vatican is considering mediation in Venezuela's lethal protests, but will take time and care in doing so.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThere is a need to better explore the perspective and the basis through which the Holy See may be useful to reconciliation in Venezuela,\u201d he said April 1.<\/p>\n

\tStudent protests began across the nation's cities early in February, but escalated when three people were killed. The Bolivarian National Guard has been criticized for an unnecessarily strong response to demonstrators, who are urging greater protection of freedom of speech, better security, and an end to goods shortages.<\/p>\n

\tAt least 39 have been killed during the protests.<\/p>\n

\tFr. Lombardi stressed March 29 that \u201cthe Holy See, and also personally the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin \u2013 who knows well and loves Venezuela, where he served as nuncio \u2013 willing and desirous to do whatever is possible for the good and serenity of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThree days later, the spokesman \u201cslowed down\u201d on the possibility of Vatican mediation in the South American nation.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to Vatican Radio journalist Luis Badilla, Fr. Lombardi's April 1 statement stresses that \u201crelevant progress has not been made, meaning that the facility of mediation is a ways off, since it cannot as yet be practiced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOn March 31, the day prior to Fr. Lombardi's second statement, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas said the nation's government had not requested the Holy See's mediation.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe president has said he is willing to receive a Vatican delegation, but there has been no official communication,\u201d he told Globovision. \u201cThe government should be the one to take the initiative. Once it does so, the nunciature will be able to move forward in the process which I hope will occur.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe Holy See has been called upon several times by outsiders as a possible mediator, but the Secretariat of State wishes to act with caution in the matter.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Parolin served as apostolic nuncio to Venezuela from 2009 to 2013, and was succeeded by Archbishop Aldo Giordano a few weeks after his appointment as Secretary of State.<\/p>\n

\tDuring his time as apostolic nuncio \u201cthen-Archbishop Parolin tried to stand in the middle and not to cause too many splits with the Venezuelan government,\u201d a source in the Secretariat of State told CNA April 2.<\/p>\n

\tVenezuela at the time was led by Hugo Chavez, a Marxist who died March 5, 2013, and was succeeded by his protege Nicolas Maduro, whose government is the subject of the current protests.<\/p>\n

\tAt a time when dialogue between the government and the opposition is seemingly unattainable, \u201cthe Secretary of State would act cautiously, not engaging the Holy See in a fruitless mediation,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n

\tThe Secretariat of State is thus demonstrating a strong pragmatism in its diplomacy diplomacy; a source in the Vatican told CNA April 2 that \u201csuch a degree of caution may mean the Secretariat of State is unsure of what importance its diplomatic role will be,\u201d in light of curial reform.<\/p>\n

\tDespite this, the source maintained that \u201cat the moment, no reform of Vatican diplomacy seems to be on the table,\u00a0 nor is it in the offing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop Thomas Gullickson, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, told CNA April 2 there are \u201cthree essential components of secular diplomacy: respect for natural law; a firm commitment to uphold international law; and the capability of using deterrence through force (not necessarily military, but also economic).\u201d<\/p>\n

\tArchbishop Gullickson stressed that \u201cdespite the fact that 1 billion Catholics throughout the world would have recourse to the Holy Father as their leader, this does not mean that he could either raise an army or invite us to boycott, ostracize, or otherwise tangibly penalize a misbehaving country or its ruler.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThis, he said, is why \u201cin recent years there have been calls for the Holy See to withdraw from the arena of secular diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThis is \u201ca pragmatic argument, which holds especially since the community of nations does not seem troubled by the presence of the Holy See in this arena, at least as far as bilateral relations go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tUnder Cardinal Parolin, the Secretariat of State is now seemingly following this pragmatic approach. Despite calls for its mediation, the Holy See will do so only if there exist the proper conditions to carry out the mediation positively.<\/p>\n

\tIf these do not exist, the Holy See will avoid the risk of being instrumentalized by the parties fighting in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\tWithin Venezuela, the Church has stated its desire to participate in a dialogue and a peace process, encouraging the abandonment of violence, pride, and anger.<\/p>\n

\tMembers of the Bolivarian National Guard stormed a neighborhood in Tachira March 22, threatening a group of the faithful gathered together to pray the rosary for peace in the country, La Nacion reported.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vatican City, Apr 2, 2014 \/ 01:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Holy See press officer Fr. Federico Lombardi explained Tuesday that the Vatican is considering mediation in Venezuela's lethal protests, but will take time and care in doing so.<\/p>\n

\t“T…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nHoly See currently refraining from mediation in Venezuelan violence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Apr 2, 2014 \/ 01:53 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- The Holy See press officer Fr. 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