The Voice of the suffering and persecuted​

“Living in a slum only made my situation worse and my family more vulnerable. My children dropped out of school and started working as porters. I didn’t care whether or not they had eaten; all I cared about was drinking. "

The statement denounces “the growing, politically motivated repression, the violation of human rights and the selective and arbitrary detentions” of individuals; the statement calls for peaceful democratic change in accord with the country’s Constitution.

“This visit will help to correct the false image that many Muslims have of Christianity, Conversely, many Christians will realize that the majority of Muslims are not terrorists. The Islamic authorities want to show that they have nothing to do with terrorism.”

"I am not aware of any Muslim country that allows full religious freedom. Even in those where converting a Muslim to another religion is not punishable by law, at the very least the person’s social circle, in particular his or her family, will react with ostracism or even physical violence."

He highlighted the suffering experienced by so many people accused of blasphemy, irrespective of the outcome of their cases. The priest said: “The blasphemy law destroys the lives of those who have been accused, even if they avoid being executed.”

“Please pray for the victims of Mount Carmel Cathedral bombing in Jolo. No words can describe the sorrow and pain that we feel. May they be given justice in God’s time. I know that the friends of the victims—both Muslims and Christians—are mourning and in deep sorrow today. Pray also ...

"We have lost everything, except our faith,” Bishop Yapaupa said. He added: "We can still look into the eyes of our enemy and offer him our sincere pardon, without giving way to a spirit of vengeance or fear."

In spite of the campaign to discredit the Church, recent, independent surveys have shown that the Church as an institution continues to enjoy a very high level of credibility. The number of vocations to the priesthood continues to rise practically everywhere in the country.

"It will be necessary to maintain the dynamism of World Youth Day, to continue the work, because there is a tendency in Panama to rely on the superficial, the emotional, and the sentimental. Hence, the importance of educating the faithful and the young about the social doctrine of the Church,”

"It is not easy to be Catholic on Madura Island, and I pray that my children will keep their faith. My wife and I do our best to keep them close to God.”