Saturday, May 12, 2012

Bolivian bishops against coke and deforestation

According to Mgr. Gualberti who met a delegation of Aid to the Church in Need, the church intends to put a stop to the destruction of the environment and drug production.

“Drug cultivation and deforestation must stop immediately,” the Bolivian Episcopal Conference said in reference to the South American Country’s cocaine plantations and widespread deforestation. An international delegation of Aid to the Church in Need visited Bolivia in recent days, meeting the Coadjutor Archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Mgr. Sergio Alfredo Gualberti.

In Andean Countries, coca cultivation is subject to certain restrictions. But for some years now, Bolivian President, Evo Morales – formerly one of the major cultivators of the plant used to produce cocaine – has warmly welcomed the expansion of plantations. Re-elected president in 2009, the former “cocalero” linked to Hugo Chavez went ahead with his plans, ignoring the accusations made by the international community and the Catholic world. 

The criticisms certainly did nothing to ease tense relations between the Episcopate and the Bolivian government which soured in 2009after the promulgation of a new Constitution that deprived Catholicism of its status as the official religion and set clearer boundaries between State and Church.

The Clusone (Italy) born  prelate told ACS news agency that Morales is on the brink of approving new deforestation projects in order to build a motorway right in the heart of a nature reserve.

“The motorway would stretch until Brazil and would destroy a large section of Isiboro Secure National Park, officially recognised as indigenous territory.” Mgr. Gualberti explained that the inevitable construction of buildings along the motorway would lead to further deforestation and environmental destruction. 

“This is why we, as Bolivian bishops wanted to write a pastoral letter in defence of the environment, justice and development.”

The text, entitled “The universe, a gift from God for life”, condemns the serious “loss of spiritual and human values and those ethical and moral principles that formed and still form an integral part of our identity.” 

Despite the fact that three quarters of Bolivia’s ten million inhabitants are Catholic, the practice of faith is weakening. The Church’s effort is therefore aimed at strengthening evangelisation work. 

“Our priorities today are to intensify pastoral care and promote the education of new catechists and seminarians.”

These priorities are supported by Aid to the Church in Need which, in 2010, donated over 350 thousand Euro to the Bolivian Catholic Church. Funded projects include: the 29th national and international meeting of Bolivian youth; training for a number of seminarians and novices; the construction of some centres for the parish of Our Lady of Mercedes in the Diocese of Potosi, as well as the restoration of the convent of the Carmelite nuns of Cochabamba.