The administration of former Bolivian president Evo Morales maintained a strained relationship with the Bolivian hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. This relationship posed a problem for Morales, as polls taken in the early 2000s indicated that about seven million of the nine million Bolivians adhered to the Roman Catholic faith. Retrieved on February 12, 2007
When faced with a Morales policy that they disagreed with, such as the proposed secularization, liberalization, and modernization of schools, the Catholic bishops of Bolivia were able to inspire massive demonstrations against the measures. The Catholic Church drew most of its support from the cities and little from rural areas (where Morales drew his primary support) due to limited assets and the prevalence of traditional indigenous culture. Retrieved on February 13, 2007 Morales has stated that he is a Catholic. Retrieved on February 13, 2007 Morales, like many rural Bolivians, was raised with a combination of Catholicism and belief in the Pachamama in addition to Ekeko. Retrieved on February 13, 2007 Other indigenous leaders, such as Félix Patzi, follow a pure indigenous faith and reject Christianity. Even though there are leaders within this faith, there has not been a shift amongst Bolivians to become 'indigenous-belief only'. Morales later commented that he is only a Roman Catholic in order to attend wedding ceremonies. When asked if he believed in God, he responded: "I believe in the land, in my father and my mother, and in cuchi-cachi (sexual activity)."
The special status that used to be given to Catholicism in Bolivia can be seen in Article 3 of the former Bolivian Constitution (1967), which says, "The State recognizes and sustains the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Religion. It guarantees the public exercise of all other faiths. Relations with the Catholic Church shall be governed by concordats and agreements between the Bolivian State and the Holy See." Retrieved on February 12, 2007 The United States State Department characterized this as constitutional recognition of Catholicism as the state religion. However, after the enactment of the current Bolivian Constitution in 2009, the Roman Catholic church lost this official status.http://www.laconstituyente.org/ Retrieved on November 30, 2011 Article 4 of the new constitution states: "The State respects and guarantees the freedom of Religion and Spiritual beliefs, in accordance with every individual's cosmovisions. The State is independent of religion." This constitutional change, in addition to Morales' leftist policies, has contributed to the uneasy relationship between the Church and the State.
Constitutional status of the Church
Until amendments made in 2009, the Bolivian Constitution gave special recognition to the Roman Catholic Church. The United States State Department understood this to be the establishment of the Church as the state religion.
On June 18, 2006, the Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Cardinal Julio Terrazas, addressed rumors being spread by some parliamentary candidates that the Catholic Church was demanding to be made the official religion of Bolivia. In his Sunday homily, the cardinal assured people that they were not championing the installation of Catholicism as the national religion. He noted that the bishops were receptive to notions of reviewing the Bolivian Constitution's article which 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 said that Catholicism had not been the official state religion of Bolivia since 1967, and that the Church was merely asking for "respect" and "recognition of the work she has done." He also mentioned that the church was not worried that Bolivia would become a secular state, but those calling for secularism had ulterior motives to strip Bolivia of religion and the presence of God.
Church land seized In early June 2006, the socialist party of Evo Morales—Movimiento al Socialismo—seized lands adjacent to the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. These lands had been given to the shrine decades before by the Bolivian government so that income derived from the use of the land would help support the shrine. At the seizure, party loyalists declared that they were taking only the land that the Church was not utilizing. The land was divided into seven lots, and several trees were cut down. Father Obermaier, in charge of the shrine, called for the government to resolve the situation. Retrieved on February 10, 2007.
Call to stop having Catholic feast days as national holidays While the education reform controversy was ongoing, then-Senator Antonio Peredo joined with other members of Morales' Movimiento al Socialismo in the Bolivian Parliament to call for an end to recognizing Catholic feast days such as Corpus Christi and All Saints Day as national holidays. The suggested policy was to only recognize Holy Week and Christmas. For the nationally recognized holidays to change, the policy would need to have been approved by the full Parliament. Retrieved on February 12, 2007 The holidays were not dropped.
Catholic view on Constitutional reform On January 18, 2007, Fr. Freddy del Villar, Vicar General of the Coroicu Diocese in Bolivia, said that the Catholic Church was being observant concerning the socialist Morales government and was still reserving judgment on the upcoming revision to the Bolivian Constitution. Though the Church was concerned, it remained confident about the improved constitution being prepared by the Morales administration. del Villar declared that with factions in Bolivia seemingly attempting to chip away at the unity of Bolivia, the Church played a role in maintaining said unity. Retrieved on February 13, 2007
Conflict over religious classes in state schools In early June 2006, the Bolivian Education Minister Félix Patzi told reporters that under the Morales administration, education would no longer have a sole focus on Catholicism and would become secular, with religious studies becoming optional rather than mandatory. The curriculum would instead focus on the history of religion, including indigenous religions. Retrieved on February 12, 2007 The idea was to create a "secular education that respects the beliefs, the spirituality of indigenous and native nations and of the Bolivian nations as the basis of individual and communitarian rights." The Bolivian Roman Catholic hierarchy immediately opposed this proposal and saw it as an attack on religion in Bolivia. They were outspoken against the measure and organized protests against it.
Pro-Catholic Church Responses
Demonstrations and Criticism led by Bishops
In August 2006, the Bishop of Oruro, Cristobal Bialasik, led thousands of Catholic students and parents through the city's streets demanding that the Morales administration leave sectarian Catholic classes in the state schools. They also insisted that the government squash any suggestions toward amending Article 3 in the Bolivian Constitution, which officially recognized Roman Catholicism. Bishop Bialasik stated that peace and unity would only come to Bolivia "if we respect our faith, if we respect God… [and learn] to live the values that He teaches us." Retrieved on February 8, 2007 Auxiliary Bishop Luis Saenz of Cochabamba called on Catholics to protest: "Bolivia is a country of one people devoted to the one true God and his Blessed Mother. Mary, under her different titles, wants all Bolivians to be united.... [Let us pray that] God will illumine the darkness in order to extinguish lies and deceit ... because they want to silence us. God's message is free. God gives us the strength to guide our people. The Catholic Church shall not be enslaved. She is not a slave to the government because she is not a political party. Fear not, Bolivia, because the Church is born of God." Retrieved on February 12, 2007
Immediately after Patzi's statements, Archbishop Tito Solari of Cochabamba said the Morales government must be consistent when it talks about respecting beliefs, which means respecting that a majority of Bolivians believe in Catholicism. He defended the existence of "covenant schools" which are administered by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church but are paid for by Bolivian taxes drawn from both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Solari said, "Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children, therefore they have the right to choose the kind of education they want. ...[F]amilies are very appreciative of the schools that are administered by the Church, which serve the community and, in a special way, those in need." He defined what he thought was the proper role of the government saying, "The state and the institutions of civil society can contribute, in a democratic atmosphere, to people choosing the best educational model for the integral and critical formation of persons."
In June 2006, a spokeswoman for the Bolivian Bishops' Committee on Education demanded that the Morales administration clarify its position on religious instruction in state schools. She claimed that the committee was eager, out of concern, for the administration to come to a definitive position to open up a dialogue. Retrieved on February 12, 2007 She took issue with Patzi labeling the current system as "colonialist," saying he "is ignoring the Church's contribution to culture, education, health care, and development in Bolivia." She asserted that the Church respects other beliefs and is not asking for Catholicism to be forced upon the people. She accused the Morales administration of having an anti-faith bias and having an issue with the faith of Catholic Bolivians, which make up 80% of the population, rather than the Church itself.
Responding to Patzi's comments, the Archbishop of Santa Cruz, Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, called for Bolivian Catholics to defend their faith. He also called on President Morales to note "the difference between a lay State and a secular state that is hostile to religions. ...[The Catholic Church will defend] the universal right to profess a religion. This is unpronounceable and non-negotiable. This is the basis for helping to form a family that is much more united in the cause of the kingdom of justice and peace and to build a country that is not in constant turmoil." Bishop Jesus Juarez of El Alto accused the Morales administration of using "double-speak" in its educational policies. After the bishops' statements, Morales stressed that courses on the topic of religion were not going to be removed from public schools.