Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the archbishop of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa, but has not named a replacement.
The archbishop of Mérida, Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras, will be the apostolic administrator, managing the archdiocese of the Venezuelan capital until a new archbishop is named.
Jorge Liberato Urosa had reached the age limit one year ago. As all archbishops do, he presented his resignation upon turning 75.
He took the reigns of the archdiocese of Caracas in 2005, a delicate time, at the height of Chavism. Tensions with the government were constant and continued under Maduro.
CARD. JORGE UROSA SAVINO
Archbishop of Caracas (Venezuela)
“Brothers, let's also pray for our beloved homeland of Venezuela, so we can all coexist fraternally, members of one great population, and so we can resolve our conflicts with peace.”
From Rome, Pope Francis has made numerous appeals for peace in Venezuela, and even the Vatican participated in the unsuccessful dialogue between the government and opposition. The country's situation is dire. Hyperinflation has caused severe poverty and chaos among the public.
