Anglican communion denies ties to new 'Chavez Church'

[struggle4progress]

Caracas, Jul 3, 2008 / 03:59 pm (CNA).- In a press release the Diocese of Venezuela of the Anglican Church said this week it “has no ties” to the so-called “Reformed Catholic Church,” a group of dissidents who support the government of Hugo Chavez.

“We want to make it clear, in the name of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, that Leonardo Marin Saavedra, the self-proclaimed archbishop of the ‘Latin American Anglican Church,’ is not recognized .. is not Anglican. To be Anglican is to be in canonical communion with the Primary See of Canterbury.

“We regret that this confusion .. moved into our country through the recent creation of the ‘Reformed Catholic Church of Venezuela’,” the press release states.

For his part, Cardinal Jorge Urosa of Caracas told Union Radio that the new religious sect is completely “incoherent.” “It is a church made up of dissidents who want to become big players of a schismatic religious movement,” he said, adding that it has no unity of purpose and is causing disturbance to “the religious and ecclesial order” ...

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13127

[struggle4progress]

1. (Venezuelan ) Catholic Church is not split, says Bishops' Conference

... "In the face of the emergence of a new religious group named Reformed Catholic Church, we reassert that the Catholic Church in Venezuela, to which most of the Venezuelan people belong, has not split," <Monsignor Ubaldo Santana, president of the Venezuelan Bishops' Conference> commented ...

He said that, while they would not take legal action against the new religious group, at least would ask for clarification of some items on its raison d'être and purposes.

"We will find out if effectively this denomination was registered with the title held and according to it, we will see what other measures we can take. We will see, but most probably will not take legal measures; what we will ask though, is for clarification of some items," he said.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13149

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Actually, Judi Lynn (or one of the other Latin America regulars) posted

some links that indicate strongly that this "church" exists only in Marin Saavedra's mind.

[struggle4progress]

3. Thanks! There seem to be several related threads floating about

LA: And now some reeking, steaming gibberish cranked out by one of the Miami Herald's best crapmeisters
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=405&topic_id=5474

LBN: Pro-Chavez Catholics under fire
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3383816