Bolivian Government Secretary, Sacha Llorenti calls the Catholic Church retrograde

TENSION • A day after the bishops' conference criticized the lack of dialogue for reforms, the government secretary called retrograde and reactionary to Catholic hierarchy.

By FREDDY FERNANDEZ LAZIO

Sacha Llorenti, Bolivian government secretary accused the Catholic Church undemocratic. Photo © EL DEBER™ / Santa Cruz de la Sierra

LA PAZ, Bolivia .— A day after the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Bolivia has announced its concern about the lack of dialogue, the exclusion of people and sectors of the opposition and infringement of personal rights and democratic freedoms in the change process being conducted by Government, the Executive and Legislative Officers responded with harsh criticism of the religious institution.

Bolivian Government Secretary, Sacha Llorenti, called the Catholic Church hierarchy as undemocratic, sexist and reactionary.

"Probably one of the most undemocratic institutions in the history of mankind is the Catholic Church (...). They will probably never forgive us the fact that all churches are now equal in Bolivia. All faiths are respected in the same way through the new Political Constitution. "

"Hear the Pope, who said the church does not interfere with the state and the state doesn’t get into the Church (...).

Eugenio Rojas criticized Senator:

"If the church will not participate in the process of change, that's their prerogative, but should work more clearly and move to the political opposition."

Rojas, said that the visit to President Morales at the hospital by the bishop as hypocrite action.

Rep. Mauricio Muñoz described the criticism as misguided. His colleague Tomas Monasterios announced he will submit a complaint to international bodies to make clear the threat to the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Archdiocese spokesman, Marcial Chupinagua said that the Church will not say anything about the issue until next Tuesday.

Source: EL DEBER^®