URUGUAY: President Jose Mujicaholds mass for the health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

Record ID: 351562

  • Title: URUGUAY: President Jose Mujicaholds mass for the health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
  • Date: 14th December 2012
  • Summary: MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY (DECEMBER 13, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CONVENTUALES CHURCH SIGN URUGUAY PRESIDENT JOSE MUJICA ARRIVING TO CHURCH INSIDE OF CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VICENTE NOVELLO, PRIEST, SAYING: "Our special intention of the eucharist is for the health of the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez." PEOPLE AT MASS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VICENTE NOVELLO, PRIEST,
  • Embargoed: 29th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uruguay
  • Country: Uruguay
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAYUOG6NHEWCYEKE8Z517S1RT9
  • Story Text: On Thursday (December 13), Uruguayan President Jose Mujica held a mass for the health of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who is recovering from his fourth cancer surgery in 18 months.
    Father Vicente Novello, a Roman Catholic priest, said the mass at Coventuales Church in the capital city of Montevideo.
    "Our special intention of the eucharist is for the health of the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez," he said at the beginning of the religious service.
    Chavez, who is 58-years old, underwent what Venezuelan government said was a 6-hour "difficult" surgery in Havana, Cuba on Tuesday.
    Venezuelan ambassador Julio Chirino expressed his appreciation for the prayers and concern of those who attended the mass.
    "This message has comforted and helped our president's healing that is already underway. We want to thank the Uruguayan people, the people of Latin America, and especially, without doubt, your president who has today allowed us, different people of different beliefs, to share a transmission of energy toward that island of solidarity where we find our president. Thank you very much," he said.
    Seventy-seven-year-old Mujica, a former guerrilla fighter who is perhaps best known for his simple lifestyle, is an ally of Chavez and fellow leftist ideologue.
    He said that while he does not believe in God, he organized the mass because Chavez does and
    "In my heart, I still can't believe or I don't know," he told reporters. "But I do know that Chavez believes, to the death. He has said it a thousand time. And doing one of these things (mass) was the only way I could find show a bit of solidarity in his difficult time for him."
    Mujica has said he planned to visit Chavez in Cuba.
    Thursday afternoon, Venezuelan government officials said Chavez's condition had been upgraded from stable to favourable-- the best news since the charismatic, anti-Washington leader underwent the surgery.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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