Roman Catholicism in Venezuela
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Church in Venezuela is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
, curia in Rome
and the Venezuelan Bishops Conference.
According to one source, there are around twenty million Catholics representing around 75% of the total. According to the CIA Factbook, 2009, 96% of the population is Catholic. There are 34 dioceses including 8 archdioceses, plus separate jurisdictions for those of the Melkite and Syrian rites.
Unlike the military, the Roman Catholic Church has not been a major political force in Venezuelan politics. The church has never been as prominent in Venezuelan as it has in neighboring Colombia
.
The church in Venezuela
has been weakened, however, by a traditional lack of vocations. Many priests serving in Venezuela
are foreign-born. Before Hugo Chavez
's government took power, charismatic Protestant churches, on the other hand, were beginning to proselyte successfully, especially among the urban poor. However, that has diminished in recent years. In the past, the Catholic Church did not have the funds, the personnel, or the enthusiasm to stem effectively this new challenge to its hegemony, but now it believes it faces a greater threat with the new government of Hugo Chavez. Even though Chavez identifies himself as a practising Catholic who often uses religious imagery in his marathon broadcasts and has visited the pope, his policies bother the bishops of the country, especially in the area of education. Besides its universities and colleges, the church also runs 700 other schools throughout the country, currently subsidized by the state. In 2007, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Ssvina, the Archbishop of Caracas, called for peaceful demonstrations against any direct government involvement in overseeing the church's schools. The church is also critical of the government for wanting to remove religious education from public schools during normal school hours.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, curia in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the Venezuelan Bishops Conference.
According to one source, there are around twenty million Catholics representing around 75% of the total. According to the CIA Factbook, 2009, 96% of the population is Catholic. There are 34 dioceses including 8 archdioceses, plus separate jurisdictions for those of the Melkite and Syrian rites.
Unlike the military, the Roman Catholic Church has not been a major political force in Venezuelan politics. The church has never been as prominent in Venezuelan as it has in neighboring Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
The church in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
has been weakened, however, by a traditional lack of vocations. Many priests serving in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
are foreign-born. Before Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
's government took power, charismatic Protestant churches, on the other hand, were beginning to proselyte successfully, especially among the urban poor. However, that has diminished in recent years. In the past, the Catholic Church did not have the funds, the personnel, or the enthusiasm to stem effectively this new challenge to its hegemony, but now it believes it faces a greater threat with the new government of Hugo Chavez. Even though Chavez identifies himself as a practising Catholic who often uses religious imagery in his marathon broadcasts and has visited the pope, his policies bother the bishops of the country, especially in the area of education. Besides its universities and colleges, the church also runs 700 other schools throughout the country, currently subsidized by the state. In 2007, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Ssvina, the Archbishop of Caracas, called for peaceful demonstrations against any direct government involvement in overseeing the church's schools. The church is also critical of the government for wanting to remove religious education from public schools during normal school hours.