Bolivian leader Evo Morales announced earlier in his presidency the possibility of eliminating Roman Catholic teachings from the core curriculum in the country’s education system. Now, he’s backing away from that proposal, according to AP:

President Evo Morales has backed off a proposal to remove Roman Catholic instruction from Bolivia’s schools, easing a dispute with church officials over his plan to place greater emphasis on Indian faiths.

Morales, an Aymara Indian and the Andean nation’s first indigenous president, had earlier accused the Catholic hierarchy of behaving as if they were “in the times of the Inquisition.” But the leftist leader made peace with church officials late Sunday in a conference with Cardinal Julio Terrazas in the highland city of Cochabamba.

“The government and the Catholic church agree to preserve the course on religion, respecting the existing religious diversity in the country,” said a joint statement from Morales and Terrazas released Monday.

Surprisingly, according to AP, the initial proposal to secularize education in Bolivia has cost him the support of citizens, as an overwhelming 83% of Bolivians say they support the Catholic church.

Via / Seattle Post Intelligencer