Caracas
September 11, 2001

The Presidency of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela, on behalf of our whole Church, expresses its profound sorrow and consternation for today's tragic events in New York City, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. We pray before the God of life for all the victims and their families. At the same+ time, we are in solidarity with the people, the Church, and the authorities in the United States at this grieving and tragic time.

It also condemns and rejects, on behalf of the inalienable rights of each person, the inhumanity of such acts, and renews its unconditional support to the causes of peace, liberty, and justice among men and women in all the nations on earth.

We implore to God our Father, through our Mother and Patroness María de Coromoto, on her feast day, the gift of consolation, peace, and hope for the whole world.

Baltazar E. Porras Cardozo
Archbishop de Merida
President

Ignacio A. Velasco Garcia
Archbishop of Caracas
1st Vice President

Ubaldo R. Santana Seguera
Archbishop of Maracaibo
2nd Vice President

José Luis Azuaje
Auxiliary Bishop of Barquisimeto
General Secretary