Father Numa Molina has developed a close relationship with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Molina's association with the regime has caused significant conflict with other Venezuelan bishops. The nation's bishops criticize the Maduro regime for persecution and severe economic damage. Tensions persist between the U.S. and Venezuela, highlighted by recent U.S. military boat strikes in the Caribbean. U.S. Catholic leaders have voiced strong opposition to the alleged targeting of civilians in the U.S. military strikes.
10 days ago
Father Numa Molina, a 68-year-old Jesuit priest, has emerged as a key confidant to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid escalating tensions with the United States and internal church divisions.1 His close relationship with Maduro highlights the complex interplay between faith, politics, and social justice in Venezuela's crisis-ridden landscape. Molina's role underscores broader frictions within the Catholic Church over support for the socialist regime.
Born to poor farmers, Molina's socialist worldview formed after his mother's death due to inadequate rural healthcare.1 He embraced liberation theology, promoting its links to Christian values through radio programs that caught the attention of former President Hugo Chávez. Molina described Chávez, who ruled from 1998 to 2013, as a "prophet" and served as his spiritual director, building ties that extended to Maduro, Chávez's former foreign minister.
Molina claims discussions with the late Pope Francis on Venezuelan politics during Vatican visits.1 Today, he aids the poor by providing financial support to 3,000 people, running canteens for 1,400 daily free lunches, and securing a new hospital in his coastal community. His weekly TV show and active social media presence amplify his pro-socialist message.
Maduro regularly consults Molina for spiritual guidance and has him celebrate private Masses for his family.1 Molina also advises Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a ruling party lawmaker, on Catholic outreach, given that half of Venezuelans are Catholic. In recent months, Molina has vocally opposed U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, which have killed over 80 people since September, and accused opposition leader María Corina Machado of seeking invasion to oust Maduro.
A ruling party lawmaker described Molina as "a figure of authority … a fundamental part of the presidency."1 Despite the regime's 12-year economic collapse, hyperinflation, human rights abuses, and mass emigration, Molina defends Maduro's policies as aligned with Gospel values for the poor.
Molina's support for Maduro has sparked sharp criticism from Venezuela's bishops, whom he calls "pastors who have forgotten the Gospel and sided with violence."1 The bishops, seen as the last critical national institution, denounced Maduro's allegedly fraudulent 2024 reelection, political persecutions, extrajudicial killings, and the return to extreme poverty. This stance has led to harassment of bishops and cardinals by state security.
The New York Times profile notes Molina's accusations that bishops are out of touch with the poor.1 His position also clashes with Jesuit Superior General Father Arturo Sosa, a Venezuelan who has labeled Maduro a dictator and questioned Chavismo. The Vatican has historically critiqued radical elements of liberation theology for Marxist influences, though praising its anti-injustice focus.
Amid U.S. boat strikes targeting drug smuggling and President-elect Trump's threats of further action, Pope Leo XIV stated the Holy See is collaborating with Venezuelan bishops and the nuncio to ease tensions.1 Trump and Maduro reportedly discussed a possible meeting as of December 3, 2025. U.S. Catholic leaders have opposed the strikes for civilian casualties.
Some Venezuelan priests privately worry Molina's political entanglement leads to moral compromises with a government accused of drug trafficking and torture.1 As U.S.-Venezuela dynamics unfold, Molina's influence persists, complicating the Church's role in advocating for human rights and the vulnerable.
Molina's prominence illustrates deepening divisions within Venezuelan Catholicism, where support for the regime contrasts with hierarchical calls for accountability.1 His aid efforts resonate with the poor but risk undermining the Church's prophetic voice against authoritarianism. Observers see this as part of a broader "chess match" between global powers, with the Holy See navigating mediation amid persecution of church leaders.
Assess Catholic Church’s role in Venezuelan political alliances
The Catholic Church in Venezuela has long maintained a distinctive role in the nation's social and political landscape, rooted in its mission to proclaim the Gospel and promote human dignity, justice, and solidarity. Historically tied to the country's identity since its evangelization nearly 500 years ago, the Church has emphasized cooperation with civil authorities for the common good while avoiding direct political alliances or partisanship. This approach, articulated in papal addresses to Venezuelan leaders and bishops, underscores the Church's commitment to ethical renewal, defense of the poor, and moral guidance amid economic and social challenges, without endorsing specific political factions. Drawing from key Church documents and papal speeches, this analysis explores the Church's non-partisan yet influential presence, its promotion of social doctrine, and the broader Latin American context of liberation theology that has shaped Venezuelan discourse.
Venezuela's deep connection to the Catholic Church dates back to its origins as a nation, forged through evangelization and reinforced by figures like Simón Bolívar, who recognized the faith's role in moral foundations. Papal teachings highlight this heritage as a source of national unity and progress. For instance, in addresses to Venezuelan ambassadors, Popes have repeatedly affirmed the Church's vocation to serve all citizens, particularly the poorest, through education, social assistance, and evangelization. This service is not aligned with political power but aims to humanize society and safeguard traditions of piety, solidarity, and justice.
The Church's presence in institutions—schools, media, and aid programs—has been instrumental in elevating living standards and preserving cultural values. Beatifications, such as that of Mother Maria of St. Joseph, exemplify how evangelization leads to holiness and service to the marginalized, inspiring vocations for spiritual and material care. These efforts position the Church as a partner in national development, rooted in Catholic principles that inspire Venezuela's constitution and foster peaceful coexistence. Rather than forming alliances, the Church acts as a moral compass, encouraging the faithful to contribute to progress while transcending partisan divides.
Papal interventions consistently stress dialogue and collaboration between the Church and state, directed toward the integral good of persons—material, spiritual, and ethical. In Venezuela, where economic inequalities, poverty, and moral crises have persisted, the Church is called to defend human rights, life from conception to natural death, family values, and the dignity of the vulnerable. This involvement is framed as a fulfillment of the Gospel, illuminating temporal realities with divine truth, without competing in political arenas.
For example, addresses to Venezuelan diplomats emphasize that the Church requires space for its mission but cooperates concretely with authorities to address social issues like hunger, unemployment, and corruption. Public officials bear responsibility for just distribution of resources, ensuring the underprivileged are not disproportionately burdened by reforms. The Church's social doctrine—emphasizing equality, honest management of resources, and solidarity—guides this partnership, countering threats like subjectivism, totalitarianism, or economic pragmatism that undermine human rights. Bishops' conferences echo this, urging ethical renewal through respect for life, truth, justice, and shared effort.
In ad limina visits with Venezuelan bishops, Popes have encouraged confronting millennial challenges with courage, drawing strength from ecclesial communion. The Church's "preferential option for the poor" is presented as essential for justice and peace, preparing for events like the Jubilee by proclaiming the Gospel of life and dignity. This prophetic stance avoids rivalry with political programs, focusing instead on forming "good Christians and honest citizens" committed to the common project of society. By appreciating citizens' spiritual convictions, authorities can foster confident participation, benefiting national stability.
Venezuela's political dynamics have been influenced by broader Latin American movements, particularly liberation theology, which emerged in the 1970s amid Vatican II's call for aggiornamento and the Medellín Conference's application to regional needs. This theology, spreading to countries like Venezuela, interprets Scripture through the lens of contemporary oppression, seeking nourishment for faith and struggles against injustice. It prioritizes lived realities over purely historical exegesis, viewing the Bible as sustenance for hope amid poverty and inequality.
However, Church authorities have approached liberation theology with nuance, recognizing its Christian theme of liberation while cautioning against Marxist influences that could politicize faith or pit classes against one another. In Venezuela, this manifests in a "theology of the people" that aligns with doctrinal tradition, emphasizing cultural analysis in light of faith rather than ideological conflict. Papal documents from John Paul II's era, relevant to Venezuela's context, warn against ideologies claiming to perfect history or divorcing politics from truth, which could lead to totalitarianism. Instead, the Church promotes an integral liberation grounded in the Gospel, supporting human development without partisan entanglement.
This cautious engagement has shaped the Church's role in Venezuelan alliances indirectly: by critiquing social marginalization and advocating for the poor, it influences political discourse toward solidarity and democracy, as seen in episcopal calls for moral awareness amid crises. Yet, the Church remains a pilgrim guided by faith, not vision, offering solidarity to the weak without assuming administrative roles.
Amid Venezuela's 20th- and 21st-century challenges—economic readjustments, moral decline, and calls for unity—the Church has been urged to intensify its role in instilling hope and Christian principles. Speeches to ambassadors and bishops highlight the need to combat poverty, ignorance, and inequality through intelligent resource use and equitable policies. The faithful are encouraged to build a society of justice and solidarity, with the Church as a witness to Christ's presence.
No sources indicate direct political alliances; rather, the Church's influence stems from its independence, proclaiming universal human rights as essential for peace and development. This avoids reticence or rivalry, uniting efforts for education open to transcendence, family promotion, and rescue from marginalization. In a polarized context, the Church's commitment ensures it serves all Venezuelans, guided by the Magisterium's light on truth and goodness.
In summary, the Catholic Church's role in Venezuelan political alliances is characterized by moral and social engagement rather than partisan involvement. Through historical ties, cooperative dialogue, and a discerning embrace of liberation themes, it promotes justice, dignity, and solidarity, fostering a society aligned with Gospel values. This prophetic mission, as articulated in papal teachings, continues to guide Venezuela toward integral human advancement, inviting all to transcend divisions for the common good.