The Catholic Church recently admonished Venezuela’s ruling Socialist Party for turning the Lord’s Prayer into an ode to its late leader, Hugo Chávez.

“Our Chávez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates,” intoned a delegate at its conference last week, as she stood before a vast image of the former president. “Lead us not into the temptation of capitalism, deliver us from the evil of the oligarchy, because ours is the homeland, the peace and life – forever and ever. Amen. Viva Chávez!”

The Church said the re-working amounted to idolatry, but Chavistas were unrepentant. Many believe that their former leader was on a divine mission, and rosaries and the like bearing his image are now commonplace in the 90% Catholic country.

Epicureans will sympathize with the poor of Venezuela, a country with a long-standing and healthy oil revenue.  They have historically seen little of that wealth, which has been pocketed by the oligarchy.  Part of the problem of Venezuela has been the history of fierce opposition to family planning by the very Catholic church that has done so little to help the dispossessed. This  has resulted in a huge population growth and insufficient jobs.  Latterly, it has been really dumb economic policies in addition.   I fear Mr. Chavez will be unable to help, but I suppose there is no harm in asking him.   An Epicurean solution would be to scrap subsidies and invest in real jobs, using the  (now smaller) oil revenue for the benefit of all the people.