CELAM issues a message of solidarity with Venezuela’s Church and people, urging unity, justice, and peace under the light of Epiphany.
Newsroom (06/01/2026 Gaudium Press ) On the Christian calendar, the Solemnity of the Epiphany is a feast of light. This year, that symbolism weighed heavily over Venezuela, where the Church continues to navigate a landscape marked by division, tension, and uncertainty. From Bogotá, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM) chose that day to make its closeness felt, issuing a message that blends spiritual consolation with a pointed appeal for peace, justice, and national reconciliation.
Signed by the members of CELAM’s Presidency and addressed to the Venezuelan Church, the letter speaks directly to a people it describes as walking through “moments of darkness.” The bishops’ words echo across a region familiar with turmoil, yet they are crafted for a nation where the struggle for dignity and social justice has become a daily, grinding reality.
Epiphany as a sign of God’s nearness
For CELAM, Epiphany is more than a liturgical date; it becomes the lens through which to interpret the Venezuelan experience. “Celebrating the Epiphany at this time means renewing our faith in God who is close to the people, who walks with them, illuminates the night, and opens new paths even when everything seems uncertain,” the message states. In a context where the future often appears obscured, that insistence on divine proximity functions as both pastoral reassurance and moral exhortation.
The bishops underscore that Epiphany recalls a light that “no one can extinguish.” It is a deliberate image, offered to a country where social and political tensions repeatedly threaten to snuff out hope. The message positions Christ’s light as a counterpoint to despair—an invitation to believe that even in the thickest darkness, new paths can open.
Under the mantle of Our Lady of Coromoto
CELAM’s statement is also deeply rooted in Venezuelan popular devotion. Throughout the text, the bishops return to the figure of Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, as a maternal presence accompanying the national journey. “We entrust this time and this journey to the loving intercession of Our Lady of Coromoto, Mother of the Venezuelan people,” they affirm.
By invoking her, the bishops tap into a shared spiritual memory that transcends political divides. Our Lady of Coromoto becomes a symbol of unity, her intercession asked explicitly “for the cause of peace and unity for the Venezuelan people.” In a polarized environment, Marian devotion offers a common ground that many Venezuelans, regardless of their stance, still recognize as part of their identity.
Echoes from Rome: the primacy of the common good
CELAM’s message does not stand alone. It explicitly recalls the words of Pope Leo XIV, delivered after the Angelus on Sunday, January 4, 2026. On that occasion, the Pope underscored the urgent need to place “the good of the people above all other considerations,” a phrase that the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean now lift up as a guiding principle.
By citing the Pope, CELAM anchors its appeal in the wider voice of the universal Church. The reference frames the Venezuelan crisis not merely as an internal issue but as a concern for the global Catholic community. Within that frame, the bishops highlight the need to overcome violence, to respect human dignity, and to commit decisively to social justice. These are not abstract values: in the Venezuelan context, they speak to daily struggles for security, basic rights, and a life of dignity.
A Church that “walks with” Venezuela
The heart of the message is an unambiguous affirmation of solidarity. “We want to reaffirm that you are not alone. CELAM walks with you and with all the Venezuelan people,” the bishops write, striving to assure both Church and society that their cries have not gone unheard in the wider region.
The Church, the statement insists, must be “an open home, a space for encounter, and a serene voice that encourages hope, even amid difficulties.” This vision of an “open home” suggests parishes and ecclesial communities that refuse to close themselves off from pain, disagreement, or diversity. Instead, they are asked to “build bridges, heal wounds, and promote reconciliation, excluding no one.” The insistence on excluding no one signals a conscious rejection of the logic of enemies and winners that has fueled so many divisions.
Reconciliation as a national horizon
In a country marked by “division and internal tensions,” CELAM’s language is deliberately oriented toward reconciliation. The bishops frame unity, mutual respect, and solidarity not as optional virtues but as “essential” for moving toward a future of peace. Their appeal reads as both spiritual counsel and a roadmap for national rebuilding.
“We firmly believe that walking together, listening to one another with respect, and seeking the common good is the path the Lord proposes to us today,” they state. The verbs—walking, listening, seeking—evoke a process rather than an instant solution, suggesting that reconciliation will be built step by step, in shared journeys and difficult conversations.
At the center of this process stands a fundamental commitment: building “a future of dignity for all Venezuelans.” That phrase encapsulates the Church’s concern for the most vulnerable and marginalized, those who too often bear the brunt of economic and social crisis. CELAM reaffirms its dedication to them, linking any authentic peace to justice and inclusion.
Saints as beacons of hope
The message closes by widening the spiritual horizon. The bishops invite the community to entrust the country to the intercession of Venezuela’s first two canonized saints: Dr. José Gregorio Hernández and Mother Carmen Rendiles, both declared saints on October 19, 2025. These figures, deeply beloved in Venezuela, are presented as “beacons of hope” for the nation.
“Wherever there is truth, justice, mercy, and care for the most vulnerable, God is manifested anew as in Bethlehem,” the bishops conclude. The image returns to the Epiphany crib, where God’s presence was revealed in poverty and simplicity. The implication is clear: in every act of justice, every gesture of mercy, every defense of the vulnerable in Venezuela today, that same divine light shines again.
For CELAM, standing with Venezuela means more than issuing statements. It means insisting that, even in a wounded country, the Epiphany’s promise holds: a God who walks with His people, a Church called to open its doors to all, and a nation invited—through faith, dialogue, and solidarity—to rediscover a shared path toward peace and reconciliation.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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