WHILE LEADERS OF the European Union, the UK and other countries were careful not to directly criticise the United States after special forces kidnapped the Venezuelan president and his wife from Caracas at the weekend, the response of Pope Leo XIV appeared to have a critical tone.
Speaking to pilgrims in Rome at the weekend, he said the interests of the Venezuelan people, whom he loved, should come before all else.
“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,” he said during his midday Angelus address to pilgrims.
He also urged that special attention be paid to the poorest who have been hit hardest by the difficult economic situation.
The statement issued by the US Ambassador to the Vatican, Brian Burch, showed that the Vatican and Washington were not on the same page, however, as there was no mention of the Pope’s plea for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
Burch’s statement included references to what the Pope had said about praying for peace, cooperation and working together.
The US Ambassador to the Vatican, Brian Burch, issued this statement following the Pope's address referencing Venezuela at the weekend.
The Pope also referred to Venezuela in December when he appealed for no invasion of that country.
In his Christmas sermon, the Pope appealed for more kindness towards foreigners, but his views on the US approach to immigrants were even more evident when he spoke to reporters at the time.
“If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to deal with that, there are courts, there is a justice system – I think there are a lot of problems in the system.
“Nobody has said that the United States should have open borders.
“I think every country has the right to decide who comes in, and how and when.
“But when people have a good life, and many of them have for 10, 15, 20 years, they should not be treated in a way that is disrespectful and there has been some violence unfortunately.
“I think the bishops were very clear in what they said and I’m just inviting everyone in America to listen to them.”
The Pope was referring to a statement made by the US Conference of Bishops after a meeting in November.
In that statement, they said:
“We are troubled by the climate of fear and anxiety among our communities as they are concerned about issues related to the profiling and enforcement of immigration laws.
“We are troubled by the state of the debate and the insults being directed at immigrants.
“We are concerned about the conditions in detention centres and the lack of access to pastoral care.
“We are saddened that some immigrants in the United States have lost their legal status indiscriminately and we are concerned about threats to the sanctity of churches and other places of worship as well as the special status of hospitals and schools,” they said.
The Pope has been widely criticised by supporters of President Trump. Shortly after his election, the former White House adviser to President Trump, Steve Bannon, said he was taken aback by the election of someone like Cardinal Prevost to be successor to Pope Francis, given the positions he had shared on social media before he became Pope.
When it was revealed that Cardinal Prevost had criticized US Vice President JD Vance’s stance on immigration, Vance, a Catholic, said he did not want to play the game of politicising the Pope’s role and that he would pray for the Pope.