Evo Morales and The Roman Catholic Church - Bolivian Catholic Theocracy?

Bolivian Catholic Theocracy?

On June 18, 2006, the Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cardinal Julio Terrazas, addressed the rumors that congressional candidates to the Bolivian parliament were saying that the Catholic Church was demanding to be made the official religion of Bolivia. In his Sunday sermon the cardinal assured people that they were “not seeking or fighting to achieve such a goal”. He pointed out that the bishops had until recently been open to reviewing the Bolivian constitution’s article that granted special recognition to the role of Catholicism. The cardinal said, “They keep saying we are fighting for that article. Not so! Let it be reviewed, but let it be done intelligently and fully. Let’s not deny that this country has truly received the seeds of the Kingdom of justice and of truth that the Lord has brought, and that that has been part of her history, and that is why in so many parts of Bolivia we are proud to be Catholics.” The cardinal pointed out that Catholicism had stopped being the official state religion of Bolivia since 1967 and said the Church is merely asking for “respect” and “recognition of the work she has done.” He said those who are calling for secularism “are hiding their other intentions” to strip Bolivia of religion and “order a country in such a way that God is not present.”