Scottish Catholic Observer

In one of his first engagements in Bolivia yesterday, Pope Francis urged civil authorities to respect religious freedom in order to allow Christians to play their part in civil life.

“Christianity has played an important role in shaping the identity of the Bolivian people,” the Holy Father said. “Religious freedom—a phrase we often encounter in civil discourse—also reminds us that faith cannot be restricted to a purely subjective experience. It also challenges us to help foster the growth of spirituality and Christian commitment in social projects.”

In his address, the Pope reminded authorities that when Christians are allowed to live out their faith, they are a benefit to society.

“Christians in particular, as disciples of the Good News, are bearers of a message of salvation which has the ability to ennoble and to inspire great ideals,” he said. “In this way it leads to ways of acting which transcend individual interest, readiness to make sacrifices for the sake of others, sobriety and other virtues which develop in us the ability to live as one.”

The Holy Father also urged those present to look beyond themselves and their own comfort in order to work for the common good.

“Without even being conscious of it, we confuse the ‘common good’ with ‘prosperity,’ especially when we are the ones who enjoy that prosperity,” the Pope said. “Prosperity understood only in terms of material wealth has a tendency to become selfish, to defend private interests, to be unconcerned about others, and to give free rein to consumerism.”

Earlier yesterday,  the Holy Father praised the reforms of President Evo Morales as he arrived in Bolivia.

He said ‘important steps’ were being made ‘towards including broad sectors in the country’s economic, social and political life.’ He also stressed the role of the Catholic Church in Bolivian society, saying the faith took ‘deep root’ centuries ago ‘and has continued to shed its light upon society, contributing to the development of the nation and shaping its culture.’

“The voice of the bishops, which must be prophetic, speaks to society in the name of the Church, our mother, from her preferential, evangelical option for the poor,” he said.

The Pope also took time yesterday to pray at the site where a murdered Jesuit priest was found in 1980. The priest, Fr Luis Espinal, had been tortured by Bolivia’s paramilitary squads.

After the brief stop in La Paz, the Pope flew to Santa Cruz in Bolivia’s central lowlands, where he will spend the rest of his visit to the country.

Bolivia is the country of three stops on the Pope’s trip to South America. He visited Ecuador July 5-8 and , after Bolivia, he will head to Paraguay to tomorrow to finish his visit to the region.

Pic: Pope Francis walks with Bolivian President Evo Morales and children in traditional dress as he arrives at El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia