One month after the two devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela, the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) has offered a message of hope and solidarity to those affected. In a video posted on social media on July 23, 2026, CEV President and Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Jesús González de Zárate, said the disaster has added to the country’s already difficult conditions and has left deep pain, especially for families who lost loved ones.
The Archbishop acknowledged that many people have been asking “where is God in the midst of so much anguish” in recent weeks. He responded that “God is in and with the victims,” because those who suffer are “the favorites of the Lord Jesus.” He described Christ as the true Good Samaritan who “anoints with love all those who have fallen on the road and carries them on his shoulders.” He also said God is present in all those who help the most vulnerable, calling every Venezuelan to act as compassionate Samaritans and to share in the pain of the victims.
Monsignor González de Zárate expressed admiration for the solidarity shown over the past month, highlighting especially “the poor people who have been, without a doubt, the main Samaritan.” He also thanked rescuers and volunteers for their heroism, and the broader Christian community for its support. He said the Church will continue to be a source of hope through prayer, accompaniment in mourning, and through the aid work of Caritas and other national and international Church institutions.
The bishops issued a call for a prompt and thorough reconstruction of what was destroyed by the earthquakes. This includes access to decent housing and jobs, but also healing for the interior, emotional, and spiritual wounds of those affected. The Archbishop stressed that reconstruction must not forget other vulnerable groups in the nation: political prisoners, workers and pensioners living on meager wages, the sick, and migrants. He also echoed the voices of those who felt abandoned by public institutions after the tragedy, urging that the same mistakes not be repeated.
The bishops also voiced concern for damage to several churches that are part of Venezuela’s historical and artistic memory. Finally, Monsignor González de Zárate invited all the faithful to take part in liturgical celebrations on July 24, one month after the disaster, assuring them that “God does not abandon us, walks with us in the reconstruction of our homeland.”