The regime banned a critical bishop of Nicolás Maduro and a friend of Hugo Chávez from washing prisoners' feet at Easter

From the Bishop of Táchira, Mario del Valle Moronta Rodríguez, Hugo Chávez said that he deserved to be cardinal, but that the ecclesiastical leadership had exiled him, which earned him To be appointed to the bishopric of the border state since 1999. He was often interviewed in the pro-government program of José Vicente Rangel. The friendship between Chávez and Moronta he was born from the coup attempt of 4 February 1992, when he and two other priests were called mediators. This friendship remained and was important in moments of greater political difficulty of the president, even if for Moronta, it meant receiving strong criticism.

Moronta is a ecclesiastical leader who has always provoked controversy. He did so on that occasion when he responded to Chávez in defending the authorities of the Catholic Church. a letter to Nicolás Maduro, February 18, 2019, with a pithy phrase caused noise in the power sectors. "Dare to listen to people who want to be treated with dignity and justice, but in peace and without revanchism", he told him.

There was no official response to the letter of Monsignor, but something showed him that, beyond the anonymous insults and some extremists, this irreverence was going to cost him an unpleasant incident.

The Holy Thursday the priest went, as every year, to the West Penitentiary Center (CPO), prison located in Santa Anta, Táchira and where is one of the two military annexes of the country, to celebrate this day, sharing with the detainees "The new commandment of love and the institution of the Eucharist, a beautiful way to commemorate the priesthood of Jesus Christ". In addition to washing the feet of some inmates, explained that with this event "we are approaching everyone to offer a gesture of brotherhood and a word of encouragement".

Monseigneur arrived at the penitentiary center at 7 pm on Holy Thursday. "The chaplain was waiting to tell me with concern that they had not allowed him to enter and celebrate. They were higher orders", denounced Moronta.

And as he was ready, the priest told the chaplain not to worry, because it was his presence, he celebrated the event by transmitting to the prisoners his greetings and blessings.

So the bishop could not celebrate the traditional "foot washing" which represents an act of humility and which reproduces the gesture of Jesus of Nazareth when he washed the feet of his disciples, when he told them, "Well, if I, the Lord and the Master, I have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. "

Bishop Moronta did not hide the ban on entering the Santa Ana Prison and in a message that he broadcast through the networks, he said: "In the Constitution, in addition to the fundamental rights which derive from human dignity, freedom is proclaimed of worship, if it implies the proper development of the priestly ministry, it is not any act, let alone a political act ".

He added: "Today's ceremony expresses charity and, in the case of people deprived of their liberty, it is a manifestation of the preferential option for the poor.
In an authentic democracy, with freedom and justice, this would not happen"

"I am very sorry for those who were waiting for the bishop, who came as a pastor, they are always in my prayers, I also pray for those who made this decision, asking the supreme and eternal priest to touch their hearts and to give him the grace and the light which they so much need, faithful to Jesus and in the communion of the ecclesial services to the people of God ", concluded the message of Moronta.

The long letter of Monsignor is summed up in several sentences:

– "This is no secret to anybody Today, we are going through the most serious political, economic, social and moral crisis in the country."
– "You can not deny the deterioration of the quality of life of Venezuelans."
– "Critical poverty has increased and malnutrition rates are very high"
– "Health is defenseless in every way, from hospital care to the purchase of drugs".
– "There is an" economic war "but not against the government or the state institutions, but against the people: the war of corruption."
– "The looting of the so-called" ark of the mine "which, in addition to destroying the" Common House of Creation ", has allowed many people to enrich themselves with the profits of the illegal mining ".
– "Tails continue to increase in our Tahrir area to acquire gasoline".
– "The smuggling of fuel is scandalous and almost" irreversible "".
– "It would be good if the SEBIN, instead of persecuting those who think differently from the government, devotes himself to the real intelligence work: in this way, he could discover the presence of irregular groups in the country."
– "They could get the perpetrators and members of the mafias who frequent people and bring many Venezuelan youth and adolescents to prostitution in other countries."
– "Even if you do not like it, the vast majority of the population suffers a crisis of humanitarian nature.
– "You have not walked freely for a long time in the middle of people"
– "In order for there to be a real dialogue, we must really listen, with sincerity, to the same people, and that has not been given or seems to happen."
– "Dare to listen to people who want to be treated with dignity and justice, but in peace and without revanchism"
– "If you listen to it, you can become sensitized and thus allow those who wish to offer humanitarian aid to do so: it is the good of the people, not that of a small group who really matters. "
– "Peoples demand respect for their condition, their dignity and their rights."
– ask him for free elections, with a new CNE. "The vast majority of Venezuelans demand that he no longer be in charge of executive power"
– "Try your luck, and the story will be much more benign with you".
– "Avoid bloodshed; put aside the persecution of dissidents; listen to and feel the suffering of a people who want freedom and justice, but with dignity and without oppression. "
– "Even if you do not believe it: I pray to you that the God of Life, manifested in Jesus of Nazareth, give you the wisdom and the light of the Spirit so that" he can make the decision that best suits you and all the Venezuelan people. "