Posted on 03/08/2013 9:01:51 PM PST by daniel1212
Caracas, Venezuela, Mar 6, 2013 / 12:01 pm (CNA).- A source in Venezuela has revealed to CNA that President Hugo Chavez died “in bosom of the Church” and received spiritual direction and the sacraments in his last days.
In announcing Chavez’s death to the nation on March 5, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said the Venezuelan leader died “clinging to Christ.” The source in Venezuela told CNA that during the last weeks of his life, Chavez requested spiritual direction and asked to receive the sacraments.
Ever since he assumed power in 1999, Chavez butted heads continuously with the Catholic Church over statements by the bishops warning of the risks and excesses of his Socialist agenda. In 2002, Chavez accused the Venezuelan bishops of being a “tumor” for his revolutionary goals and demanded that the Vatican not intervene in the internal affairs of the country.
In recent years, Chavez occasionally took part in the religious services of distinct denominations, but he surprised the press in April 2012 when he showed up at a Catholic church in his hometown of Barinas to attend Holy Week services. He wore a rosary around his neck and prayed for strength to fight his illness. Last July, Chavez made public his request to meet with the Catholic bishops.
After Chavez’s death, the Archdiocese of Caracas, led by Cardinal Jorge Urosa who is currently in Rome for the conclave, sent its condolences
The secretary general of the Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela, Bishop Jesus Gonzalez de Zarate, called for national unity. “At this time let us all put forth our best sentiments,” he said during an interview on Venezuelan television. “Death is not the end of our life,” he added. “Death only opens the way to a life of complete happiness, at the side of God our Father.”
So others who are not Catholic can lead a mass, participate in a mass as a "priest," not just properly ordained Catholic priests?
Jackson says life is uncertain, but a life of service matters. We pray to God that Chavez finds peace and acceptance for his service
I believe God will deal with his "service" appropriately.
Here's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad kissing Hugo Chavez's coffin earlier
I think God will take note of that endorsement.
Cardinal Urosa Savino...called on all Venezuelans to participate in the Eucharist.
Is this an exception or are non-Catholics allowed to participate in the Eucharist at any time? I'm assuming that not "all Venezuelans" are Catholic. Or maybe for an event such as this, all Venezuelans are considered Catholic?
...he (Chavez) called Cardinal Urosa “a troglodyte” and warned the Vatican that, as long as the cardinal remained as archbishop of Caracas:
I will remain very far away from the Church.
Would that automatically put him "very far away" from God?
Chávez was a Catholic.
Oh, OK.
Chávez over the course of his presidency became increasingly open to discussing his religious views, stating that both his faith and his version [oh my, that is interesting] of Jesus' personal life and ideology had a profound impact on his Liberation Theology.
Well if it wasn't for "his version" I would imagine that the "impact" would have led Chavez to denounce his un-Godly belief in Liberation Theology. Nice to see he goes along with Obama's mentor and pastor, the "Reverend" Jeremiah (God d*** America) Wright, and Obama's beliefs also.
Nor did anyone CALL for him to be damned, which was the original accusation.
Interesting. Seems that Chavez had his own personal interpretation of Scripture guiding him and the Catholic church still embraced him in death by giving him a Catholic funeral.
That is an endorsement of his theology. I guess it doesn’t run contrary to Catholic teaching after all.
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Being as this article makes it clear that the Catholic church accepts that despot dictator/murderer Hugo Chavez---who showed his contempt for Catholicism over the years---is deserving of a full honors Catholic funeral service it looks like you are absolutely right.
Commie Chavez was a cancerous tumor in the breast of the Church, meybe...
Maybe he'll get a full mass funeral like Teddy Kennedy.
>>>>The source in Venezuela told CNA that during the last weeks of his life, Chavez requested spiritual direction and asked to receive the sacraments. <<<<
Faced with his impending death Hugo Chavez requested spiritual direction and asked to receive the Sacraments, one of which is reconciliation/absolution.
However poorly he lived his faith in Jesus, he did profess such a faith in Him and on his deathbed did come to the Church before he died.
That is enough to have a Catholic funeral. The funeral is the final prayer for the soul of someone, not an endorsement nor a golden ticket to heaven.
The Church did exactly what it is to do by praying for the repose of his soul. Is there something wrong with that?
Please see my post #89.
The Church stands by the Truth given her through the Holy Spirit while knowing that all the faithful will not perfectly share or live by that truth.
Chavez professed faith in Jesus, was that alone not enough to save him?
Obama claims to be Christian too. Doesn’t mean he actually is.
Maybe he'll get a full mass funeral like Teddy Kennedy.
And the Catholic Church fails to surprise me, as Chavez gets a funeral mass, presided over by a cardinal. Thanks to daniel1212's post #1:
Rome - The Holy Mass in honor of the late President of Venezuela Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias will be held tomorrow Friday, March 8 at 7 pm in the Church of Santa Maria ai Monti, Via della Madonna dei Monti, 41, presided by Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas who is in Rome to attend the conclave that will elect the new Pope. This was communicated to Fides by Cardinal Urosa Savino himself and called on all Venezuelans to participate in the Eucharist. http://www.news.va/en/news/americave...-the-late-pres
I don’t claim to know the true faith of anyone.
Is the profession of faith in Jesus enough to save?
Talk about touching a nerve. There were a couple posters mentioning mercy. At no point did I refer to them. I was merely highlighting how when a very evil person, nominally Catholic, has a deathbed conversion, suddenly there’s no middle ground between Satan gnawing you for eternity and instant beatification. There’s a reason the church preaches eternal and temporal punishment for sins, exact
ly for cases such as this.
To say that there is no “stoking up the coals” on this thread is ridiculous.
see post 82
Seems to me that the Roman Catholic Church holds to the theory of Justification by death.
God will do the right thing. I think the church should shut up.
Profession is simply profession. It does not mean a heart change.
If he’s asking for sacraments for fire insurance, then God knows his motivation, and likely it’s meaningless.
What this amounts to is Catholics promoting the very easy believism that Protestants are accused of promoting. It doesn’t matter how you live your life. At the last minute, just ask for the sacraments and voila`, you’re good to go.
Funny how when Protestants espouse it, they’re castigated for it. When the Catholics espouse it, it’s being *Christian*.
Hypocrisy duly noted.
Is the profession of faith in Jesus enough to save?
No. Even the demons believe and tremble.
One also has to believe with his heart as well as confess with his mouth. (Romans 10:9-10)
There will be lots of people at the end who say *Lord, Lord,......* and Jesus will say He never knew them.
I forgot to add that I am not a Christian either, but unlike Obama, I don’t claim to be one.
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