Pope Francis stays calm after receiving shocking, outrageous gift from Bolivia president
FREE Catholic Classes
During Pope Francis' short trip in Bolivia, President Evo Morales gave him a crucifix of Jesus, nailed in the symbol of communism: hammer and sickle. The Pontiff maintained a neutral and diplomatic approach as he was handed the gift, which is a significant item in the Bolivian Christianity amid the political inclinations. Yet, most people saw that crucifix as politically-charged, with Daily Mail describing it as "unusual at best, blasphemous at worse."
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/13/2015 (8 years ago)
Published in Americas
Keywords: Pope Francis, Bolivia, Visit, Evo Morales, Gift, Secular, Crucifix, Communist Symbol, Rev. Luis Espinal
MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - President Morales is known to be very critical of the Catholic Church, but greeted Pope Francis warmly as he arrived in the capital La Paz. His gift to the church leader was allegedly very much political, as Catholic Bolivia is trying to separate the Church from the state.
As soon as Morales came into office in 2006, the first indigenous person to do so, he took many anti-clerical activities, including the new constitution proposing that the country be secular. He removed the Bible and the crucifix from the presidential palace, while the former Catholic rites practiced were exchanged for Andean religious rituals during the official state ceremonies.
However, the gift's significance is traced to something identical to one Rev. Luis Espinal had in his possession. Rev. Espinal is known as the brave Jesuit priest who fought against the military regime, which ultimately led to his death in 1980. He was kidnapped and tortured by the right-wing regime of Bolivia, then his body was dumped on a La Paz highway. The Pontiff made sure his motorcade would stop there in Rev. Espinal's honor.
"Remember one of our brothers, a victim of interests that didn't want him to fight for Bolivia's freedom. Father Espinal preached the Gospel, the Gospel that bothered them, and because of this they got rid of him," he told the crowd as the Pope Mobile halted. The trip was short due to the worry that the Pope would get sick from high altitude with only one lung fully functioning.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
St. Faustina Kowalska
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Saint of the Day for Wednesday, Oct 4th, 2023
-
Popular Saints
-
St. Francis of Assisi
-
Bible
-
Female / Women Saints
-
7 Morning Prayers you need to get your day started with God
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sacrifices of Faith: The Pro-Life Legacies of St. Gianna and Jessica Hanna
-
How to love God by caring for our bodies
-
Pope Francis calls for negotiations to End Russia-Ukraine War
-
Pope Francis Contemplates Return to U.S. for United Nations Assembly Address
-
Pope Francis Calls on Faithful to Embrace Faith, Hope, and Charity in New Teaching Series
Daily Catholic
- Daily Readings for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- St. Zita: Saint of the Day for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- Prayer for the Dead # 2: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, April 27, 2024
- Daily Readings for Friday, April 26, 2024
- St. Cletus: Saint of the Day for Friday, April 26, 2024
- Prayer before the Closing of the Day: Prayer of the Day for Friday, April 26, 2024
Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.