"Beware of Chavez' agenda," says archbishop.Caracas -- At a military ceremony on July 18, 2007, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez used the occasion to launch an attack on the Catholic Church with the particular object of discrediting the bishops. While lauding Jesus as a radical hero, Chavez accused Venezuela's bishops of betraying Christ's thought and work, "by taking advantage of the people." Claiming that he had the support of many priests who were "true Christians," he went on to condemn To adjudge or find guilty of a crime and sentence. To declare a building or ship unsafe for use or occupancy. To decide that a navigable vessel is a prize or is unfit for service. the bishops as "Pharisees Pharisees (fâr`ĭsēz), one of the two great Jewish religious and political parties of the second commonwealth. Their opponents were the Sadducees, and it appears that the Sadducees gave them their name, perushim, , hypocrites." In response, Archbishop Ovidio Perez Morales, president of the bishops' council, counterattacked by characterizing Chavez' remarks as "a smokescreen to hide something very serious." That something, as spelled out by the archbishop, is Chavez' ambition to change the Constitution of the country in the direction of a socialist totalitarian state Noun 1. totalitarian state - a government that subordinates the individual to the state and strictly controls all aspects of life by coercive measures totalitation regime modeled on that of Castro's Cuba. Archbishop Morale comments have been supported by Venezuela's National Council of the Laity LAITY. Those persons who do not make a part of the clergy. In the United States the division of the people into clergy and laity is not authorized by law, but is, merely conventional. . The council has condemned con·demn tr.v. con·demned, con·demn·ing, con·demns 1. To express strong disapproval of: condemned the needless waste of food. 2. Chavez' aggressive attitude towards the Church and its pastors, noting that these are the people who "speak out in favour of truth, justice and peace ... beyond mere activities of political parties" (Zenit, July 23, 2007). |
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