Bolivia: Catholic Church in solidarity with Indigenous peoples

During August 28 Sunday homily, Cardinal Archbishop Julio Terrazas of Santa Cruz called Christians to show solidarity with the mostly Indigenous peoples who are marching to Bolivia's capital to protest against the planned highway that would traverse the Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro Secure (TIPNIS) reserved for them.

Said the cardinal,  "The Lord gave up his own life upon the cross, and now asks us to commit our lives, taking a cross that can embrace the suffering of many people - he said during the homily - It is necessary to gain a dimension of understanding and love for others so that, today, for example, we can understand the suffering of so many brothers who are participating in the march of TIPNIS."

Continued the cardinal,  "The change in attitude is now an urgent thing, in our country, in this archdiocese-the cardinal continued -. We have to fill ourselves with the thoughts of God so that we can courageously proclaim Him, and become true apostles, disciples who know that the cross is not a curse but an instrument through which God shows his love to us and asks us to be able to take up our cross to follow him". He also asked the "Church of Santa Cruz, and to the whole of Bolivia, to take up the cross and follow the Lord".  

The government of Bolivia and President Evo Morales show no sign of relenting in their policy of linking the landlocked Andean nation to markets for its extensive natural gasfields to potential markets, such as Brazil. Neighboring Brazil has offered easy credit to Bolivia to build the highway, which would eventually cross the South American continent across the Amazon Basin and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Clashes between government security forces and protesters led to numerous deaths and injuries in 2008 in a heated national debate over energy resources.