Bolivia: Episcopate renews authorities and reaffirms its commitment to bringing hope

Within the framework of the 115th Assembly of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, its authorities were renewed, confirming Mons. Aurelio Pesoa, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Beni, as president for the next triennium.

The position of Vice President of the Episcopate will be occupied by the Archbishop of La Paz, Mons. Percy Galván, who succeeds Mons. Ricardo Centellas Guzmán, Archbishop of Sucre.

The general secretary of the CEB, Mons. Giovani Arana, Bishop of El Alto, also renews his position.

The Assembly began on November 7 at the Cardenal Maurer Retreat House, in the city of Cochabamba, and will continue until November 12, 2024.

On this occasion, the meeting of bishops takes place in a context of crisis in the country, so the reflections were marked by the need to seek the common good in the face of suffering.

Along these lines, the prelates focused their reflection on the importance of listening to “the cry of all the poor” and responding with “a message of hope”, especially in view of the next jubilee and taking into account the recent encyclical He loved us of Pope Francis, dedicated to the Heart of Jesus.

“All this has to mark our path as the Church at this time, in communion with the universal Church, for the challenges that lie ahead,” said Mons. Eugenio Cóter, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Pando, when offering a summary of the first days.

Also participating in the assembly were the president of the Lay Council, Sandra Serrano; the delegate of the religious, Luis Alberto Mojica Paz; and Father Fernando Bustos, rector of the San José National Major Seminary.

In Bolivia, Bishop Cóter pointed out, the current situation “is a worrying picture, there is a structural crisis, not just circumstantial or punctual,” which affects “the economic model as well as the country model.” This crisis “deserves structural responses that require strong economic investment,” while demanding a change “in social rules and economic rules,” he considered.

The intervention of Verónica Sánchez, a sociologist who has studied the impact of the Church’s work on society, demonstrated that it continues to be an institution with credibility, which people seek in the face of difficulties. For this reason, it is “a source of hope and relief for ordinary people,” and the challenge, said Bishop Cóter, is “to continue being this institution that relieves, helps and guides our society.”