Catholic Bishops of Panama Concerned Over Violence and Call for a New Constitution at their Assembly with 7 Key Exhortations
We look with sorrow and concern upon the poverty that still wounds the dignity of so many brothers and sisters in Panama. However, we do not do so with resignation, but with the hope that inspires commitment. As Pope Leo XIV reminds us, “poverty has structural causes that must be addressed and eliminated.” While this path is being forged, we are all called to generate concrete signs of hope, making charity and fraternal solidarity visible.
The poor cannot wait. They are not just numbers or statistics; they are people with faces and stories. They are children, the elderly, women, young people, and entire communities whose dignity is violated every day. And we cannot remain indifferent. We are called to accompany, promote, and defend the dignity of every person, recognizing the face of Christ in the most vulnerable and affirming through our actions that every human being is a beloved son or daughter of God. From this conviction springs the hope that transforms and renews our nation.
2. Care for our Common Home and, at its center, the person.
From our pastoral responsibility, we defend the care of our Common Home, so that it is not damaged or sacrificed in the name of economic progress that is placed above life, the population, and the future of the next generations. Authentic development puts the person at its center and respects creation; therefore, we affirm: “We cannot support an inhuman concept of development” (Dear Panama, 9).
We reaffirm our pastoral accompaniment of the brothers and sisters of Río Indio, and of those who must make decisions, so that discernment and decisions may guarantee a dignified life and secure land, without exclusion or imposition. Likewise, we accompany the indigenous peoples, walking alongside them in their legitimate struggles for land, work, and respect for their rights, convinced that listening to their cry is an evangelical duty (cf. Querida Panamá, 31–39).
3. We cannot become accustomed to violence.
We express our deep concern at the increase in violence that is becoming normalized in daily life, deteriorating social and family coexistence and weakening the bonds of fraternity to which we are called as a people.
In particular, we raise our voices against the violence perpetrated against women and children, and with special sorrow and firmness we denounce the mistreatment, neglect, and contempt shown to the elderly, whose dignity is frequently violated within families and society. Every act of aggression against them wounds the memory, history, and values that sustain our people. As a Church, we cannot remain indifferent to these realities that cry out to heaven.
We reaffirm unequivocally that no form of violence is acceptable, because it denies the dignity of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, and is radically opposed to the Gospel of life and peace. The dignity of every person—especially the most vulnerable—must always take precedence over any interest, ideology, or circumstance. We urge the justice system to act responsibly and effectively, guaranteeing the genuine protection of victims and the unrestricted respect for life.
4. January 9, 1964: A Living Memory That Demands Coherence.
The events of January 9, 1964, retain a profound and challenging relevance for the national conscience. The generous blood shed by those young people not only marked our history but also forever planted in the hearts of the Panamanian people a flame of dignity, courage, and love for the homeland that no force could extinguish. Their sacrifice reminds us that sovereignty is not passively inherited but defended with conviction, unity, and selfless dedication.
This living memory speaks especially to today's youth, the legitimate heirs of that healthy and luminous nationalism, called to transform the legacy received into civic commitment, ethical responsibility, and active participation in the social and democratic life of the country.
Embracing the legacy of January 9th also requires a clear understanding of the challenges of our time. Among these is the urgent need to create a new Constitution that realistically and with a vision for the future responds to the aspirations of the Panamanian people. This is not simply about reforming texts, but about renewing consensus, strengthening democratic institutions, guaranteeing social justice, and ensuring that the country's legal framework is up to the challenges of our times and those to come.
Honoring the martyrs of January 9th means, today, committing ourselves to a more just, participatory, and supportive homeland; it means working to ensure that the sovereignty we have won translates into real dignity for all, and that Panama continues to build its future based on truth, unity, and the common good.
5. National Mission with a Church on the Move:
The closing of the Jubilee Holy Year did not close the door on hope. It continues with the National Mission as the pastoral path of the Church in Panama.
The National Mission, more than a slogan, is a constant call to return to the heart of the Gospel and allow ourselves to be transformed. It begins within the Church, renewing attitudes and communities, and impels us to go out and meet the poor, those who suffer, and those who have lost hope, bringing them the Good News that transforms lives.
It is not simply a matter of carrying out pastoral activities, but of living a new way of being a Church that is close, compassionate, and missionary, so that the Gospel may illuminate daily life, heal wounds, and renew hope. It is the Church that accompanies, denounces injustice when necessary, and joyfully proclaims that God does not abandon his people.
Therefore, each diocese, from its own perspective, will discern and implement specific missionary actions, in ecclesial communion and in harmony with this same missionary impulse. It is not about uniformity, but about walking together in a shared mission.
We are all invited—bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, and lay faithful—to generously join this National Mission, so that the Gospel may reach every corner of Panama and no one may be excluded from the hope that comes from Jesus Christ.
6. Solidarity with Venezuela
We reiterate our closeness and solidarity with the Church and the Venezuelan people. You are not alone. And in communion with the Successor of Peter, we affirm that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above any other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, and respecting the human and civil rights of all…”
We join in prayer that the Lord will grant that nation the gift of reconciliation, harmony, and a future of collaboration, stability, and peace.
7. Final Exhortation
We call upon all—believers and people of good will—to commit ourselves, in a common and united effort, to transforming our society, placing the human person at the center, and working to ensure that the economy and politics are at the service of the common good, justice and the dignity of all, thus reflecting the fraternal and united face of the Kingdom of God.
We entrust this entire journey to the protection of Santa María la Antigua, patron saint of Panama.
Panama City, January 8, 2026.
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