Amid the political, social, and economic crisis gripping Venezuela, the Church remains one of the few institutions with a stable presence throughout the country. This is explained by Venezuelan priest  Gustavo José Perozo Pérez , ordained in 2020 and incardinated in the Diocese of Carora, who is currently studying Canon Law at the  Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra .

Convinced that Church law is not a theoretical discipline, he emphasizes that its purpose is very concrete:  to serve  truth, justice, and people.

A vocation born in parish life

Although he grew up in a religious environment, his  vocation  didn’t emerge in childhood. It was later, in his youth, when, through catechism classes, serving as an altar boy, parish groups, the support of some nuns, and the parish priest’s example, he began to consider his calling. “All of that awakened in me the search for something more,” he explains.

In 2012, at the age of 19, he left his university studies in Geography and History and entered the seminary. Eight years later he was  ordained a priest .

Why study Canon Law today?

The bishop’s appointment to the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra is no coincidence. For Gustavo,  Venezuela urgently needs well-trained canon lawyers.

“Canon Law contributes greatly to the mission of the Church; it is at its service. From this perspective, its contribution to the pastoral action of the Church in Venezuela is evident, and at the same time , the need for specialists in  Canon Law , in all branches , who can support this service.”

He also believes that in a historical moment like the one  Venezuela is experiencing , in which the social benchmarks of justice and the common good are being violated, finding the dimension of justice and truth in ecclesial institutions is a sign of what should be and, consequently, of what should be sought.

“In this way, Canon Law can contribute not only within the  church  but also to the current complex socio-political situation,” the Venezuelan priest points out.

This statement positions the Church not as an isolated actor, but as a moral and legal reference point amidst the country’s institutional fragility.

The Church in Venezuela: committed

The Venezuelan people have been suffering for years from a political, social, and economic situation that affects their freedoms. However, amidst this complexity, the Church’s action is not passive; it “remains present and committed, striving to illuminate each reality with criteria and initiatives centered on the Gospel.”

For Gustavo, the most visible action is  social work , especially through  Caritas , with soup kitchens, medicine banks, nutrition programs, medical care, and job training. But the Church’s commitment goes much further: “Amidst all the reality experienced and suffered, in every place and in different ways, the Church’s presence has adapted to the needs, evangelizing and offering a response to every need that has arisen; all this, the fruit of committed listening and shared effort,” he points out.

“This service also has a profound social and political value because thanks to many  pastoral agents   who, with their dedication, availability, sensitivity, generosity and prayer , in a spirit of communion and charity, and from the Church’s own institutions, are the hands and feet that bring closer, give, lift up, carry and ultimately make it possible for this service to be a sign of comfort and hope.”

Therefore, he concludes emphatically: “the role of the Church transcends the intra-ecclesiastical sphere and becomes a true diaconate to Venezuelan society.”

A Church that suffers with its people

The priest is clear and balanced: the Church in Venezuela is not a privileged elite. It lives and suffers the same reality as the rest of the citizens. Although it does not suffer  open persecution  as in other countries, it does experience threats, limitations, and consequences stemming from the sociopolitical context.

The Church, both as an institution and in each of its faithful,  is not on the sidelines of the country’s suffering .

Hope in the midst of uncertainty

From her legal background, she recognizes that the dominant feeling today is uncertainty, both inside and outside the country. Even so, there is something that has not been lost: “Hope perseveres in the hearts of most Venezuelans.”

“The road to restoring democratic institutions will be long,” he affirms, “but  it is not impossible .” That conviction sustains a people who, despite everything, continue to look ahead.

A new fervor of faith in Venezuela

Faced with the phenomenon of secularization, especially among  young people , Father Perozo Pérez’s diagnosis is both surprising and encouraging. Far from a mass abandonment of the faith, in many communities one perceives  “a renewed fervor, a reconfiguration of the experience of faith,” even amidst such harsh difficulties as migration.

“Many young people participate in retreats, movements and various charismatic experiences, which bring them closer to the Church and then lead them to processes of accompaniment, maturation, commitment and apostolate.”

The testimony of  Gustavo José Perozo Pérez  reveals that, amidst the   Venezuelan  crisis , the Church remains a place of  hope ,  Canon Law emerges as an instrument of justice and truth , and faith, far from being extinguished,  is being transformed and renewed . A silent but profoundly eloquent sign that even in the longest night, lights continue to shine.