Pope Francis received the Directors of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (VEC), in the Apostolic Vatican Palace, the morning of Thursday, June 8, to talk about the grave situation the country is experiencing. The private audience lasted half an hour.

Then, after another meeting, the bishops met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

The delegation was headed by VEC’s President, Monsignor Diego Rafael Padron Sanchez; the First Vice-President, Monsignor Jose Luis Azuaje Ayala; the Second Vice-President, Monsignor Mario del Valle Moronta Rodriguez; the Secretary General, Cardinal Jorge Liberato Urosa Sabino, Archbishop of Caracas; and Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo, Archbishop of Merida.

Details of the meeting will be made known shortly. Yesterday, Cardinal Urosa met in Rome with the President of the Italian Senate’s Foreign Relations Commission. Meetings are also planned with dicasteries and with Caritas Internationalis.