The final stop on my journey through Latin America was Bolivia, where I stayed from August 17 to 24, 2026. According to a survey by the National Institute of Statistics in 2001, approximately seventy-eight percent of the population was Catholic, sixteen percent Protestant or evangelical, three percent belonged to other Christian denominations, and two point five percent professed no religion. According to a 2022 estimate by the U.S. Department of State, Catholics accounted for about seventy percent of the population, Evangelical Protestants for fourteen point five percent and those who did not profess any religion for six point six percent. However, despite its statistical majority, the situation of the Roman Catholic Church is not uniform. The lack of priests in rural areas has resulted in the development of a distinctive form of popular Catholicism that combines elements of pre-Columbian beliefs with Christianity.<\/strong><\/p>\n Indigenous beliefs and rituals are still being practiced by the Quechua, Guaran\u00ed, Chiquitano, Aymara, and other peoples. In the mountainous regions of Bolivia and Peru, people continue to practice traditional rituals associated with Ekeko[1]<\/sup><\/a> (a folkloric-mythological \u201cdeity\u201d of abundance and prosperity from local legend) and Pachamama[2]<\/sup><\/a> (Mother Earth), both of which are also known in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ofmconvBOLIVIA?_rdr<\/a>.<\/p>\n Someone once said that Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in South America and, at the same time, one of the most spiritual: deeply rooted in the traditions of indigenous peoples, sensitive to the sacred, and open to the Gospel. Indeed, the culture of Bolivia is extraordinarily colorful and dynamic; one might even say it is deeply religious. As Erich FROMM wrote: \u201cThere is indeed no culture of the past, and it seems there can be no culture in the future, which does not have religion in this broad sense of our definition.\u201d Culture plays a fundamental role in how people understand and practice their religion. The customs, traditions, values, and norms of a given culture can directly influence the religious beliefs of its members. This is why the Light of Assisi<\/em> has been received with great enthusiasm and joy in Latin America.<\/p>\n Friar S\u0142awomir KLEIN, General Delegate for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue (EDI)<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> To learn more about the legend of Ekeko, go to: https:\/\/www.boliviabella.com\/legend-of-the-ekeko.html<\/a><\/span> The final stop on my journey through Latin America was Bolivia, where I stayed from August 17 to 24, 2026. According to a survey by the National Institute of Statistics in 2001, approximately seventy-eight percent of the population was Catholic, sixteen percent Protestant or evangelical, three percent belonged to other Christian denominations, and two point […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102674,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4956,135,148],"tags":[1503,5108],"class_list":["post-102677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-edi","category-general-offices","category-news","tag-bolivia-en","tag-spirit-of-assisi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102677"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102681,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102677\/revisions\/102681"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ofmconv.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSome may recall the controversy that arose in 2019, surrounding Pachamama and Pope Francis during the Synod for the Amazon. Representatives of indigenous peoples of the Amazon, who accompanied the synod fathers, brought several statuettes of Pachamama with them and placed them in a side chapel of the Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina, near the Vatican. The statuettes were also featured in a ceremony held in the Vatican Gardens before the Synod began. It was later clarified that those participating in the prayer had not bowed before the Pachamama statuettes, nor performed any ritual in front of them. During the synodal assembly, the Pope talked about the \u201cPachamama statues that were removed from the Church at Traspontina, which were there without idolatrous intentions and were thrown into the Tiber. First of all, this happened in Rome, and, as bishop of the diocese, I ask pardon of the people who were offended by this act.\u201d
\nDid the first Conventual Franciscan missionaries in Bolivia find themselves in a similar situation? In 1976, Friars Jan KOSZEWSKI, Szymon CHAPI\u0143SKI, and Rufin ORECKI departed for Montero, in the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, to respond to an urgent pastoral need of the local Church. Shortly thereafter, the Custody of Bolivia was established, and the friary and parish of Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de la Merced became the center of the Conventual Franciscans\u2019 missionary activity, which included pastoral ministry, medical assistance, education, and support for local communities. It was there that I celebrated the Liturgy of Light<\/em> during Mass celebrated in the Spirit of Assisi<\/em> and delivered my first homily in Spanish. The friars of the friary in Montero can attest that I did not preach heresy. They are Friars Juan Carlos VARGAS C\u00c1CERES (Custos), Rodolfo VARGAS NEGRETE (Guardian), Oscar Modesto T\u00d3RRES APAZA (Pastor), and Ronald Ramiro ARMIJO ZELADA of Sucre, Bolivia.
\nI celebrated another prayer service in the Spirit of Assisi <\/em>in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It was ecumenical in nature and was organized by the Most Reverend Stanis\u0142aw DOWLASZEWICZ BILLMAN, OFM Conv., Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. He suggested I visit and he hosted me. Representatives of various Christian denominations participated in the prayer service, including Coptic Orthodox, Anglicans, Methodists, and Mennonites.
\nMy final Mass celebrated in the Spirit of Assisi<\/em> took place in our Mar\u00eda Asunta Parish Church, in Santa Cruz. Friars Jan KUKLA (Guardian) and Carlos CATAL\u00c1N MELGAR serve there. Among the many faithful present were friars and sisters of the Third Order, catechists, altar boys and girls, and young people from Franciscan Youth<\/em>.
\nI also got to visit the newly established Jard\u00edn de la Inmaculada Retreat Center, located in a picturesque area about 70 km [44 mi.] from the friary in Santa Cruz. More information about this place is available on its official Facebook page at:<\/p>\n
\nThroughout history, religions have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to adapt to the diverse cultures in which they have developed. This process can include the integration of local cultural elements into religious practices, the reinterpretation of sacred texts in light of the prevailing culture, as well as the assimilation of festivals and rituals characteristic of a given culture.
\nChristianity, too, in its early stages of development, was closely linked to three cultures\u2014the Semitic, the Hellenic, and the Roman\u2014even though, in essence, it was not tied to any single culture. The Church\u2019s missionary activity demonstrates that Christianity can enter into fruitful dialogue with the culture of any people.
\nRegarding cultural and religious diversity in the contemporary world, intercultural and interreligious dialogue is a fundamental tool for promoting mutual understanding, respect for differences, and peaceful coexistence among people of different traditions. It contributes to the spiritual enrichment of individual countries and regions in an increasingly globalized world.<\/p>\n
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\n[2]<\/a> For an in-depth article on the worship of Pachamama, go to: https:\/\/www.thearchaeologist.org\/blog\/the-worship-of-pachamama-the-earth-goddess-of-the-andes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"