Evo vs The Church

Pope Benedict XVI meets with Bolivian President Evo Morales

Evo Morales launched his newest attack against Bolivia's oldest political institution: the Church.  In his latest declaration, the Bolivian president wants to mandate full disclosure of church finances, expropriate churches and land, and eliminate religious tax exemptions.  Bolivia was officially a Catholic state as recently as a decade ago.  This direct attack on popular religious icons here couldn’t be a worse move.

The president’s rationale behind this blitz against the Church is that clergy in the country often exploit religious beliefs for personal gain.  Marriage, Baptism, and Mass fees do not contribute to the institution’s social funds or operating expenses; these go directly to the pockets of priests.  Living on donation footed bills, priests already reside in Church owned mansions and drive Church owned vehicles.  Evo’s aggression follows lock step with his promise to rid Bolivia of corruption – in all forms.  His cries for Church transparency, although politically sensitive, are well founded.

Going after Church land and the houses of worship themselves, however, goes too far. In a country where 85% of the nation is Catholic and an additional 10% is Evangelical, seizing property from religion is a political mistake and one that will infuriate citizens. People seek refuge in Churches and donate portions of their incomes in the name of their faith.  Stealing “God’s House” is a personal attack. 

Religious organizations are also the leading source of aid money in the country.  Now Evo wants to tax Churches and associated NGOs.  The Bolivian government clearly wants to take its piece of the religious donations pie.  Taxation would essentially be asking religious aid organizations to subsidize (anti-religious) government activity, which by mandate goes against the typical NGO, Non-Governmental Organization, calling. Taxing social causes could easily lead to funds flowing to more cost effective regions where every dollar spent could have more of a positive impact – both social and religious.  At the very least, these NGOs, already strapped with tight budgets, will assuredly cut social programs.

Even with the noble cause of increasing transparency, the Church has no reason to comply with the Bolivian government.  If the Vatican refuses to disclose finances or cede property, Morales is powerless to enforce these drastic measures.  Will the State arrest clergymen?  Will they send armed military into Churches?  In a country where the population supports the Church, unless Evo is preparing for a dictator sponsored civil war, he can’t possibly enforce these measures.  The Church has the upper hand.  Simply slighting the power hungry administration could easily shift public opinion fully to God’s side.

The Church may have been complicit with restrictions first removing religion from public schools (a fight they could not have won) and possibly with increased national transparency.  But, pairing financial disclosure with a war for Cathedrals, Churches, and Chapels is a lose/lose situation for Evo Morales.  This attack on the Church will surely have an adverse effect: empowering the religious institutions Evo seeks to restrain.  Other than increasing State control, what benefits could Evo Morales possibly gain from seeking to nationalize houses of worship?  This horribly engineered political move will only empower the administrations’ opponents.

Evo vs The Church