The Bishops’ Conference of Bolivia announced this week it would send a complementary copy of the Bible and the Compendium of Social Teachings of the Church to each newly elected member of the Bolivian House of Representatives.

Cardinal Julio Terrazas, president of the Conference, said the copies would be sent in August thanks to the generosity of a grant from Aid to the Church in Need.

Cardinal Terrazas said the bishops were not meaning to pass judgment on the government by distributing the texts, but rather “to awaken the consciences of all the representatives of the people.”

“We want to remind people that the Church defends justice and peace, she defends life,” he added.

The Bolivian Congress is made up of 500 representatives.