Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Fides Agency) - At the end of their 82nd Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of Bolivia published a Message addressed to the People of God on the topics they consider of greatest concern in the crucial era their Country is going through. Among them, they underline the latest economic and social measures adopted by the Government with regard to the nationalisation of hydrocarbons. The Bishops wish this measure will take place “in a framework of equity and justice, avoiding corruption and bad administration” and that the benefits will reach all sectors of the Country, “especially the poorest and the defenceless in the society”.
As they did with their message in March “Let us build a Bolivia for all” (see Fides 27/3/2006), the Bishops express their hope in the Constitutional Assembly, which they see as “a great opportunity for opening and hope [...] calling everyone to build bridges of encounter and reconciliation, dialogue and transparency, and to seek consent, in order to establish a true democracy, where all may exercise their rights and perform their duties in freedom”.
Another topic the Bishops’ Conference of Bolivia considered during its Assembly, was the relations between Church and State and the Church and the society. The Bishops write that Article three of the Constitution needs to be re-examined. “This effort - one can read in the message - shall adequately define the role of the Catholic Church and other Churches in the historical configuration of Bolivia as it is today, and their contribution to the Nation’s configuration”. According to the Bishops, this article of the new Constitution should include the fundamental right to religious freedom, conceived as “everyone’s right to live his or her faith in truth, according to the transcendent dignity of each and every human being”. Furthermore, it should guarantee “the State’s respect for the profoundly religious nature of the people of Bolivia, which has its roots in the original countries”, and recognise the contribution of the Catholic Church and other Churches in “the configuration and current life of the Bolivian Nation”. Another crucial point, according to the Bishops, is the recognition of the autonomy, independence and collaboration of Church and State and the juridical recognition of the Catholic Church “as a collective public entity”.
Another topic that needed to be discussed in this meeting, due to its importance for the Latin-American continent, is the preparation of the fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAM), which will take lace at Aparecida (Brazil), in May 2007. According to the Bishops, this Conference “must show new routes for the evangelising mission of the Church, bringing new light, orientations and courage”. Therefore, the Bishops call upon the whole People of God to “actively take part in the preparation of this special event for the Church, with their availability and enthusiasm. Everybody’s commitment is of essence, in order to identify the most pressing challenges, suggest the most appropriate pastoral courses of action, and strive to become faithful followers and witnesses of the Good News of Jesus Christ in the world”. (RG) (Fides Agency 4/5/2006; lines 37, words 486)
