Promoting reconciliation and peace at a politically difficult time for Bolivia, and tackle one of the many pastoral challenges resulting from the weakening of Christian life: these are the tasks of which Benedict XVI reminded the Bishops of Bolivia, whom he received today on their visit “ad limina”. "I am very well aware of the difficult circumstances that have been affecting the devotees and the population of your country for quite a long time and that seem to be getting even worse said the Pope with reference to tensions in some areas of the country . They certainly require special pastoral care and interest by the Church which managed to closely follow all the Bolivians in distress to the sole purpose of preserving their hope, reinforcing their faith, promoting unity, urging reconciliation and the protection of peace". There’s no shortage of "other challenges" in the Bishops’ pastoral work, he went on, because faith "always needs to be fed and strengthened, especially by reading the signs of a certain weakening of Christian life, caused by different factors, a widespread inconsistency between the professed faith and the models of personal and social life, or by a shallow education that exposes the baptised to the influence of fascinating but empty promises". (continued)
