want to silence us. God’s message is free. God gives us the strength to guide our people. The Catholic Church shall not be enslaved. She is not a slave to the government because she is not a political party. Fear not, Bolivia, because the Church is born of God." Immediately after Patzi's statements, Archbishop Tito Solari of Cochabamba said the Morales government must be consistent when it talks about respecting beliefs, which means respecting that a majority of Bolivians believe in Catholicism. He defended the existence of "covenant schools" which are administered by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, but are paid for by Bolivian taxes drawn from both Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Solari said, "Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children, therefore they have the right to choose the kind of education they want. ...[F]amilies are very appreciative of the schools that are administered by the Church, which serve the community and, in a special way, those in need." He defined what he thought was the proper role of the government saying, "The state and the institutions of civil society can contribute, in a democratic atmosphere, to people choosing the best educational model for the integral and critical formation of persons." In June of 2006, a spokeswoman for the Bolivian Bishops’ Committee on Education demanded that the Morales administration clarify its position on religious instruction in state schools. She claimed that the Committee was eager, out of concern, that the administration come to a definitive position to open up a dialogue. She took issue with Patzi labeling the current system as "colonialist", saying he "is ignoring the Church’s contribution to culture, education, health care and development in Bolivia." She asserted that the Church respects other beliefs and is not asking for Catholicism to be forced upon the people. She accused the Morales administration of having an anti-faith bias and having an issue with the faith of Catholic Bolivians, which is 80% of the population, rather than the Church itself. Responding to Patzi's comments, the Archbishop of Santa Cruz, Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, called for Bolivian Catholics to defend their faith. He also called on President Morales to note "the difference between a lay State and a secular state that is hostile to religions. ...[The Catholic Church will defend] the universal right to profess a religion. This is unpronounceable and non-negotiable. This is the basis for helping