A series of attacks and confrontations against Catholics in Venezuela has marked a renewed deterioration of relations between the Church and the national government. Some Church leaders have openly speculated that the events could form part of a broader, coordinated campaign.
"These are not isolated events and sometimes we even ask ourselves to what extent this is a systematic campaign," said retired Archbishop Ramon Ovidio Perez Morales of Los Teques, a town just outside Caracas.
At San Pedro Claver church in Caracas in late January, a pro-government collective crashed Sunday Mass and shouted insults at Fr Angel Tornero before closing the doors, standing up near the altar, and prohibiting parishioners from leaving while further criticising the local priest.
