EU Official Laments Attack on Venezuela Nunciature

"I express my solidarity and closeness to the nunciature and the whole Venezuelan Catholic community, which is continually a target of religious intolerance and fanaticism by the groups close to President Chávez."

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Zenit) - A vice president of the European Parliament condemned today an attack on the apostolic nunciature in Venezuela.

Mario Mauro spoke out against Monday's attack, which included five tear bombs being launched at the see of the Pope's representative in the Venezuelan country. The nunciature has already been attacked on previous occasions, also by pro-government demonstrators.

Mauro spoke of his fear of Venezuela suffering a "cutback in liberty."

"I express my solidarity and closeness to the nunciature and the whole Venezuelan Catholic community, which is continually a target of religious intolerance and fanaticism by the groups close to President Chávez," he said.

Mauro is the new representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe regarding religious persecution.

He affirmed that "the proliferation of similar episodes in the future will do nothing but make worse a situation that is already difficult in Venezuela, where the citizens are little by little losing every fundamental liberty."