Christianity In Bolivia: A Historical Overview

Christianity is the predominant religion in Bolivia, with Roman Catholicism being its largest denomination. In a 2020 survey, approximately 65% of Bolivian respondents claimed to be of Catholic faith, while around 19% identified as Evangelist. Since the 1940s, the Roman Catholic Church has ventured into social aid, the news media, and education. The country's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and in 1906, the government permitted the establishment of non-Roman Catholic churches.

Christianity is the predominant religion in Bolivia

The country's second most chosen religion is evangelism, with approximately 19% of the population interviewed in 2020 identifying as such, and 59% of them are active.

Christianity's roots in Bolivia can be traced back to the Spanish conquest when priests accompanied the first military expeditions. Pope Julius III created the La Plata bishopric in 1552, followed by those of La Paz and Santa Cruz in the early 17th century. The clergy were largely of European origin, though some mestizos were admitted as lay brothers.

The patronato real (an agreement between the Catholic Church and the Spanish crown) gave the Spanish throne significant powers in church affairs, including the appointment of clergy and bishops. This intimate relationship between church and state continued until Bolivia gained independence in 1825.

In the 20th century, the Bolivian government took control of church tithes, closed monasteries with fewer than twelve persons, and seized church lands, permanently weakening the church as a political force. In 1906, the government proclaimed religious tolerance and permitted the establishment of non-Roman Catholic churches.

While Christianity is the predominant religion in Bolivia, the country also has a significant population of indigenous people who practice their own religious traditions. Bolivia is officially a secular nation, and its constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The constitution also establishes the freedom of religion and a separation between church and state, prohibiting discrimination along religious lines.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of indigenous religious practices, particularly during the presidency of Evo Morales, the country's first indigenous leader. Morales worked to separate church and state and protect the right of indigenous communities to practice their religion. However, his replacement, interim President Jeanine Añez, has reignited deep-rooted class and racial divisions by making the Bible front and center in public life.

Roman Catholicism is the country's largest denomination

Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination in Bolivia, with the country's population predominantly identifying as Christian. In 2020, approximately 65% of Bolivians identified as Catholic, according to a survey conducted between October and December of that year. This percentage has decreased slowly over time, but Roman Catholicism remains the most common religion in the country.

The roots of Christianity in Bolivia can be traced back to the Spanish conquest, when priests accompanied the first military expeditions. The Catholic Church's organization, personnel, and societal role were established during the early colonial era. Pope Julius III created the La Plata bishopric in 1552, followed by those of La Paz and Santa Cruz in the early 17th century. Various religious orders, including Franciscans, Mercedarians, Dominicans, and Jesuits, joined the colonial ministry. The clergy were primarily of European origin, and the church's influence extended into the spheres of land ownership, money lending, and real estate investments, making it a powerful financial force in colonial Bolivia.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Bolivian church-state relations underwent changes. While the Roman Catholic Church retained its status as the nation's sole religion after independence in 1825, the new government asserted its authority by taking control of church tithes, closing smaller monasteries, and seizing church lands, which weakened the church's political power. In the 20th century, the government permitted the establishment of non-Roman Catholic churches and relinquished its direct involvement in church affairs. The 1967 Constitution granted official status to the Roman Catholic Church while also guaranteeing the freedom of religious practice for all faiths.

The Catholic Church in Bolivia has had a complex relationship with the state, especially under the administration of former President Evo Morales. While polls indicated that a large majority of Bolivians adhered to the Roman Catholic faith, Morales' policies, such as the proposed secularization and modernization of schools, faced opposition from Catholic bishops, who inspired massive demonstrations against these measures. The Catholic Church's influence was more prominent in urban areas, while Morales drew his primary support from rural regions where traditional indigenous cultures prevailed.

Despite the shifts in church-state dynamics and the diversification of religious beliefs in Bolivia, Roman Catholicism continues to be the largest denomination in the country, with a significant proportion of the population practising the faith.

The constitution guarantees freedom of religion

Bolivia is a secular nation, and its constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The constitution stipulates that the state respects and provides for "freedom of thought, spirituality, religion and worship", expressed individually or collectively, in public and in private. The constitution also states that the state is independent of all religion.

The constitution prohibits religious discrimination, including access to educational institutions, health services, and employment. It also protects the right of access to public sports and recreational activities without regard to religion. All schools are required to avoid dogmatic imposition and teach ethics courses that emphasise religious tolerance and interreligious dialogue.

In 2019, the "law on religious freedom, religious organizations and spiritual beliefs" (LEY Nº 1161) was passed, which ended the exception for the Catholic Church and ensured that all religions and spiritual beliefs are treated equally before the law. This law also establishes a principle of mutual respect "within the framework of interculturality".

Despite these protections, some Christian groups have alleged that left-wing governments show a preference for indigenous religious groups and practices. On the other hand, right-wing parties tend to privilege Christian beliefs. In rural areas, there have been reports of hostility by indigenous communities against Christian missionaries, including incidents of violence.

The constitution's protection of religious freedom has been challenged by a new Penal Code, approved under President Evo Morales, which sanctions religious "recruitment" with 7 to 12 years of imprisonment. This has raised concerns among evangelical Christians, who worry that practising their faith, such as preaching in the streets or inviting someone to a Christian event, could be criminalised under this code.

Christian groups have accused left-wing governments of favouring indigenous religious groups

Bolivia is a secular nation with a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion and establishes a separation between church and state. The country's predominant religion is Christianity, with Roman Catholicism as its largest denomination.

Christian groups have accused left-wing governments, specifically those led by the Movimiento al Socialismo, of favouring indigenous religious groups and practices. This accusation stems from the belief that left-wing governments show preference for the spiritual beliefs and customs of indigenous communities, while Christian groups feel marginalized or overlooked.

In contrast, conservative and right-wing parties in Bolivia tend to privilege Christian beliefs and values. This dynamic illustrates a complex interplay between politics and religion in the country.

It is worth noting that Bolivia's religious landscape is diverse, with a significant proportion of the population adhering to various denominations within Christianity, as well as the presence of other faiths, including indigenous spiritual practices, Baháʼí Faith, Islam, and Judaism.

Indigenous communities in rural areas have been hostile towards Christian missionaries

Christianity is the predominant religion in Bolivia, with Roman Catholicism being the largest denomination. However, in rural areas of the country, hostility by indigenous communities against Christian missionaries has been reported. This hostility has manifested in incidents of violence, including indigenous leaders physically assaulting pastors.

Indigenous peoples in Bolivia, or Native Bolivians, constitute anywhere from 20 to 60% of Bolivia's population, depending on different estimates and the inclusion of mestizos in census data. The largest indigenous groups are the Aymara and Quechua. These communities have a long history of marginalization and lack of representation in the country's political processes.

In recent decades, there has been a surge in political and social mobilization among Indigenous communities in Bolivia. The Katarista movement of the 1970s and 1980s, for example, sought to pursue an Indigenous political identity through mainstream politics. While this movement failed to create a national political party, it influenced various peasant unions.

The election of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was a significant milestone for the Indigenous community. Morales attempted to establish a plurinational and postcolonial state, expanding the collective rights of Indigenous peoples. He also recognized the Andean earth deity Pachamama and celebrated the country's Indigenous religious beliefs in official government events.

However, Morales' emphasis on Indigenous beliefs and his heavy-handed campaign to increase their visibility and prominence sparked backlash, particularly from conservative evangelical groups and those who hold strong Catholic beliefs. This tension between Indigenous beliefs and Christianity came to the forefront during the interim presidency of Jeanine Añez, a conservative evangelical senator. Añez re-introduced the Bible into the presidential palace, stating, "The Bible has returned to the palace," in direct contrast to Morales' celebration of Indigenous religious practices.

The conflicting views on the role of religion in public life have ignited deep-rooted class and racial divisions in Bolivia, with some fearing a return to the discrimination experienced under previous presidents of European descent. These divisions are further exacerbated by the weak rural presence of the Catholic Church, which has resulted in many Indigenous communities practicing a blend of Catholicism and Indigenous rituals and beliefs.

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