MADRID (San Pablo CEU University Foundation) — Former President of Venezuela’s National Assembly (2017-18), Julio Borges, delivered a powerful keynote address at the closing session of the 27th Congress of Catholics and Public Life, an annual event organized by the Catholic Association of Propagandists and the San Pablo CEU University Foundation. This year’s theme: “You, Hope.”
Speaking on “Temperance and Hope: The Art of Being Free,” Borges emphasized that faith and hope transcend borders. “Hope is a love that never gives up,” he said, urging listeners not to passively wait for change but to become agents of change themselves. “Hope is not stillness; it is action. The fight for truth doesn’t happen on grand stages—it must be sought out in everyday life.”
Borges warned of the dangers posed by authoritarian regimes, citing Venezuela’s ongoing dictatorship as a “living, festering wound.” He criticized the “cult of comfort,” the manipulation of law to serve personal desires, and the erosion of civic duty, describing these trends as corrosive and decadent. “I have seen evil up close—evil determined to control everything, even the soul of each of us,” Borges said. He encouraged attendees to resist, echoing Pope Francis: “We must be certain that evil does not have the last word.”
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The Venezuelan leader stressed that defeating dictatorship requires moral leadership, highlighting the role of opposition figures like María Corina Machado. “The real battle is within ourselves,” Borges said. “It starts with refusing to let lies become routine, to accept injustice as normal, or to let darkness obscure hope.”
Borges concluded by asserting that the struggle for freedom is not waged in parliaments or at borders, but within the conscience of every individual. “We must liberate our conscience, which may be held captive without our knowing. We must restore humanity’s ability to discern, because without free consciences, there can be no free nations.”
The congress was closed by Alfonso Bullón de Mendoza, president of the Catholic Association of Propagandists, who thanked the more than 3,000 participants from around the world for their engagement in this year’s event.
Reprinted with permission from San Pablo CEU University Foundation.
