It seems like every year around Easter, there are more and more political, verbal, or physical attacks on the Christian faith. It’s a time when the “news” media treats us to special investigations into whether “the historical Jesus” ever really existed, while remaining noticeably  incurious about the nature of the historical Muhammad. In Venezuela, paramilitary “Chavistas” accosted the Archbishop of Caracas during a Holy Week procession. The police did not intervene to protect the bishop.

NO TIENEN PERDON D DIOS, Cardenal Urosa Savino: gob. protege a colectivos paramilitares q atacaron HOY a la iglesia pic.twitter.com/gno3wq5q0P

— Valores Democraticos (@Fundavade) April 12, 2017

During the procession of the Nazarene of St. Paul in the Basilica Santa Teresa, Chavista groups under the government’s control attacked the Archbishop of Caracas as he gave a speech encouraging freedom in Venezuela.

The aggressors pushed Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, while presbyters and seminarians sheltered him and took him to the sacristy.

Venezuelan journalist Alberto Rodríguez reported that officials of the National Police did not intervene to protect the archbishop or parishioners.

According to opposition leader Antonio Ecarri, during the aggression the Chavista groups also stole property from the church.

Venezuela is by all measures a total mess thanks to the socialist policies implemented by Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro. The “Chavistas” like socialists all over the world are quick to shift the blame for problems to everything but their misguided totalitarian leftist policies. The Church is always a convenient scapegoat for criminals like this. Extreme leftists cannot tolerate people being loyal to anything above the state.

Several churches around the city are covered with offensive graffiti  and threats against priests.

“The priests of our Diocese of San Cristóbal do not fret or feel intimidated by these immoral threats,” Moronta said in a statement. “On the contrary, it is a new opportunity to reaffirm the configuration of the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.”

The animosity between the Venezuelan leftists and the Church has been going on for some time. The Church has been outspoken about the failure and evil of socialism, which has led to attempts at intimidation from the government.

Chavez was elected president of Venezuela in 1999 and began to espouse Marxist principles almost immediately. “Marxism is undoubtedly the most advanced theory and scientific interpretation of history, of the concrete reality of peoples,” Chavez reportedly said. “What is more, Marxism is undoubtedly the most advanced proposal for the world that Christ came to announce more than 2,000 years ago.”

Socialism has been condemned consistently throughout the 20th and 21st centuries by the Church. Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum, issued in 1891, said socialism “would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State and create utter confusion in the community.”

Just a few years later, Pius XI reiterated that “no one can be at the same time a sincere Catholic and a true socialist.”

It remains astonishing to me that Hollywood and Washington leftists still support the policies of the Venezuelan government without ever being asked to address what a disaster they are and how oppressive that regime is.