During the 54th Eucharistic Encounter in Omar Park, the Archbishop of Panama, José Domingo Ulloa, called on all sectors of the country to tackle child poverty.
"Brothers and sisters, the wounds of the risen have their origin in corruption and impunity, which steal the bread of the poor and rob the country of its future, especially our childhood," Ulloa said in part of his homily, as he recounted one of the biblical passages about the resurrection of Jesus.
Ulloa highlighted that in Panama, according to studies by the World Bank, UNICEF, and the Ministry of Social Development, 482,033 children live in poverty. He stated that one in three Panamanian children lives in poverty, and one in six in extreme poverty.
"Panama cannot call itself developed if its children suffer from hunger, preventable diseases, or abandonment. Because a country that does not care for its children is silently renouncing its own tomorrow," he emphasized.
At the end of the message, hundreds of parishioners backed Ulloa's words with applause.
Ulloa highlighted the presence at the mass of Ángela Russo, recently elected as Panama's Ombudswoman, and Cardinal José Luis Lacunza. He also prayed for Luis Moreno and Roberto Motta, who passed away recently, for their contributions to the church and the country.
The Archbishop emphasized that early childhood, from zero to six years, defines a person's integral development. He also said that allowing children to grow marked by poverty is to perpetuate inequality.
"We cannot accept that geography or origin determines the destiny of a life. They are not cold statistics, they are lives that cry out for justice and call on us not to remain indifferent," affirmed Ulloa.
He added that the call to address child poverty is directed to all sectors: the authorities of the three branches of state, the private sector, civil society, universities, local governments, social organizations, various faith communities, and labor unions.
"No one can be left aside."
