Venezuelan Church Defends Political Role *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's Roman Catholic Church on Thursday defended its aggressive role in national politics and accused supporters of President Hugo Chavez of plotting to create divisions within the church and discredit its leaders. Church leaders "cannot be spectators" in Venezuela's political crisis, said Monsignor Baltazar Porras, president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference. "This is an issue that concerns the entire society, not just politicians." ***
"the rats bury their rat" Venezuelan Cardinal Buried Amid Security *** CARACAS, Venezuela - Hundreds of Venezuelans on Wednesday withstood heavy rain and protesters to follow the funeral procession of Cardinal Ignacio Velasco, a government critic whose wake two days ago was marred by violence. The cardinal was buried in the Cathedral of Caracas with military honors.
About 30 soldiers in dress uniform lifted their rifles as priests and parishioners carried Velasco's casket outside the cathedral, circled around a plaza and returned to bury him inside. Velasco died early Monday after a long battle with cancer. He was 74. Several hundred National Guardsmen formed a line to keep back dozens of President Hugo Chavez's supporters, who shouted "the rats bury their rat" in one corner of the plaza. ***