The Church in Bolivia

Pastoral collaborators from the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, the Jubilee Foundation, and Pastoral Social Cáritas Bolivia met on Friday to study Pope Leo XIV's encyclical, Magnífica Humanitas. The training session, organized by the Secretariat for Pastoral, focused on how the papal document addresses humanization in the age of artificial intelligence.

Father Mauricio Pozo Videa, director of the Institute of Estudios Teológicos of the Seminario Mayor San Jerónimo de La Paz, led the session. He provided participants with analytical tools and discussion points to help them understand the core content of the encyclical.

Father Pozo stated that the document is essential for the life and mission of the Church. He explained that the Pope intends to renew the vision of Christian humanism as new technologies become more deeply integrated into daily life.

Students, teachers, and families at the José Agustín Castrillo educational unit in Sica Sica gathered for a Mass to honor Our Lady of Fatima. Following the liturgy, students joined a procession to carry the image of the Virgin from the local temple to the school.

Father Policarpio Aracaya, the parish priest of Sica Sica, spoke about the role of children during the 1917 apparitions to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. He encouraged teachers and parents to bring children to Mass and to provide an education that combines faith, values, and human formation in both classrooms and homes. The event concluded with a message describing children and young people as a hope for the Church and society.

Bishop Robert Herman Flock of the Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco signed a decree on September 15, 2026, to elevate the liturgical celebrations on Sunday, October 4, to a Solemnity. This change means the liturgy for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi will replace the usual liturgy for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The decision commemorates the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, who has served as a secondary patron of the diocese since July 31, 2020. A special Jubilee Year with plenary indulgence is in effect from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027.

The decree instructs the preparation of a Sunday sheet with specific readings, prefaces, and prayers, as well as recommendations for related songs. Priests are also asked to promote the benefits of the plenary indulgence and to facilitate access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the community.

The IAM of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra held a digital tools workshop to help animators communicate and share missionary activities from their parishes. The session, titled "Digital Tools for the Mission," took place on Saturday, September 12, at San Antonio Parish.

Felicia Pedraza, an IAM animator from the Sagrados Corazones de Jesús y María Parish, led the training. She taught participants how to produce and distribute content related to their community activities. This activity is part of a monthly training process organized by IAM Santa Cruz to address requests and needs from animators in different parishes.

Father Luis López, director of the OMP of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz, said the sessions provide practical training based on the real experiences and concerns of those in missionary service. He noted that the workshop gives animators more resources to create graphics, photographs, videos, and other audiovisual content for social media.

The Archdiocese of Santa Cruz and the University Pastoral Ministry of the Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo (UCB) SC will host a conference featuring Martín Valverde on Tuesday, September 15. The event, titled "The Art of Living with Hope: Faith, Vocation, and Service to Transform the World," begins at 19:00 at the Coliseo Don Bosco.

Father Arnulfo Dorado, director of the UCB SC University Pastoral Ministry, said the conference intends to create a space for people to encounter Christian hope, vocation, and service as ways to help change society. The organizers aim to motivate university students, families, and pastoral workers through the event.

Monsignor René Leigue blessed the start of conservation and restoration work on the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santa Cruz to mark the beginning of the project.

The Family Pastoral Zone North East met in Guayaramerín to reflect on the social, pastoral, and spiritual reality of the northern region.