Venezuelan bishops denounce proposed constitutional reforms

Published: 2007-10-24

CARACAS, Venezuela (CNS) -- The Venezuelan bishops' conference denounced the country's proposed constitutional reforms, saying the reforms would give unjust power to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. "This is truly grave and would modify the fundamental structure of the democratic state," the bishops said in a statement, following a three-day meeting in which they discussed the reforms. Students in Caracas protesting the reforms clashed with police and Chavez supporters Oct. 23, four days after the bishops issued their statement. According to the British news agency Reuters, thousands of marchers pushed through police lines as police fired tear gas in an effort to disperse them. In the Oct. 19 statement, the bishops pointed out that the reforms would permit unlimited re-election for the president and also would redefine Venezuela, taking it from a democratic state to a socialist state. The bishops said this was contrary to the "Christian vision of man." "We consider (the reforms) morally unacceptable in the light of the church's social doctrine," they said.

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