Bolivian Catholics unfazed by sex scandals as they gear up for massive festival
By CARLOS VALDEZ and PAOLA FLORES
Associated Press
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Catholic devotees in Bolivia are preparing for one of the country’s biggest religious celebrations this weekend at a time when the church in this Andean country has been rocked by an increasing number of sex abuse scandals. The faithful who are gearing up for the Jesus of the Great Power festival Saturday insist that cases of abuse that have come to light in recent weeks would not affect the folk-religious festival in La Paz, which fuses together Catholic and local Indigenous traditions. Tens of thousands of people will descend on the capital Saturday wearing colorful garb to dance to thousands of musicians playing traditional Indigenous music in a demonstration of their faith.
