Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged restraint after a U.S. attack on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, saying the welfare of the Venezuelan people must come first.
Speaking after the traditional Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said he was following developments in Venezuela “with deep concern” and called for an end to violence and a renewed commitment to justice and peace.
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“The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration and lead us to overcome violence and to undertake paths of justice and peace, safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, respecting the human and civil rights of each person and of all and working to build together a serene future of collaboration, stability and concord, with special attention to the poorest who suffer because of the difficult economic situation,” the Pope said.
The Pope, the first from the United States, said efforts should now focus on building “a peaceful future of cooperation, stability and harmony.”
Later the pontiff took to social media to share his call for peace and pray for intercessions from the recent canonization of the first Venezuelan saints — Dr. Jose Gregorio Hernandez and Mother Carmen Rendiles.