"Gods make their own importance..."

It becomes pretty clear here, quite quickly, that many of the people here have only a vague idea of where Ireland might be, geographically. Those who can identify it on the map generally think it is part of the United Kingdom. And most people seem to think that Northern Ireland is a completely separate island to the rest of Ireland. Many people ask what type of government have we and, even when I tell them that we are a republic, they presume, because Ireland is so closely linked to Britain in their minds, that we have a Queen, or some sort of royal family. The idea that Ireland has two official languages is entirely surprising to them, and quite a few of them are under the impression that there is an armed conflict going on between the army of the Republic of Ireland and the army of Great Britain.

It's not hard to understand how some of this confusion arises. European news is not reported very much here, and what they "know" about Ireland has been pieced together from snippets they have picked up from different places, with no particular order, and no organising principle.
Mind you, it has also been my experience that most Irish people know very little about Panama. Those who do know something about it know about the Canal and the Panama Hat - but the Panama Hat is actually Ecuadorian.

I think that it is fair to say that most Europeans have only a passing familiarity with Central and South American geography and that current events in the countries of this region are largely unknown among most people in Ireland and other European countries. That Nicaragua is in a state of near collapse; that Venezuela is currently going through an undeclared civil war; and that huge numbers are fleeing hunger and poverty in Cuba are just some of the things that might surprise Europeans who begin to look at this region.

It is therefore surprising that Brexit has become such a familiar word for people here. While it is true to say that most of them have no clear idea of what it is about or about why there is so much fuss about it, it is also true that most Europeans also have a lot of difficulty understanding it. Recent votes in Westminster have made it clear that one clear vision for Brexit just does not exist; the future for Britian's relationship with Europe remains unclear; and what a border in Ireland, whether hard or soft, might come to mean, is anyone's guess.

In an age of instant global communication it is very striking that world-changing events in different parts of the world remain local issues. I am reminded of Patrick Kavanagh's wonderful poem, written 90 years ago, Epic:

EPIC by PATRICK KAVANAGH, 1938 I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided : who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.

I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul"
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here is the march along these iron stones."

That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was most important ? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said : I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.

Leftovers

I was in the Lay Institute last night for my usual lecture and, as I had arrived later, I was brought to see a room containing what was left over from World Youth Day (JMJ). As you can imagine, huge preparations were made, and a lot of "stuff" had to be prepared. A certain amount of this stuff was not used or will no longer be used and so, from the Diocesan Curia, they are attempting to sell as much of it as they can to help to defray the costs of the event.

In fairness to the people involved, most things are being sold at cost price - this is more about decreasing the loss than about making a profit. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the numbers that attended JMJ were huge - but a great many of those who attended didn't officially register meaning that the organisers didn't receive the income they had been counting on that would have come from the registration fees. This means that the costs incurred in preparing for the event were not offset by the income and, as we all know, when you spend more than you actually have, that is called debt.

In many ways this situation is reminiscent of the Irish experience after the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979. After this visit it took quite a long time to pay the costs associated with it - may people (you may recall) debated whether all of the costs had been strictly necessary but, I suppose, the answer to that question probably depends on which side of the fence you are standing.

The room that I was brought to last night is already half empty. Parishes have taken advantage of the opportunity to replenish things like vestments, albs, sacred vessels, and altar linen - all of which have a relatively short life span, due to the climate which is extremely hot and humid. Computers that were bought for the event are also being sold off (although, as was pointed out to me, without any guarantee), as are printers, t-shirts, umbrellas, hats, confessionals, as well as a large amount of bags of food (this, non-perishable, food was what was given to thos registered so that they would have food to snack with, or even make a basic lunch).

Will they sell it all? Probably not.
Will this be sufficient to pay off all the money that needs to be paid? Certainly not.
But this is the beginning of a process and, I am pretty sure, they will get there before too long - in the meantime the room still needs to be cleared: it will be used for catechesis, meetings of the clergy, and other things as the year progresses and the normal rhythm of things (without JMJ looming on the horizon) reasserts itself.

Ongoing Formation of Priests

For some years now there has been a plan that each student of the seminary, on graduation, will be conferred with a degree. This is a very important step here as a degree means that priests would be able to teach religion in schools. Apart from the obvious benefits of having increased contact with young people from their parishes and also with their families through the schools, this would also mean that the priest's income would be supplemented by what they would be paid for their teaching hours.

Supplementing the priests' income is not an insignificant concern here. Many parishes have to operate on a shoestring and more than a few priests need to be supported from an ever-dwindling central fund of the diocese. Extreme poverty is almost always localised - the very poor live in the same areas (parishes) which means that those parishes are less likely than others to be able to develop. No matter what type of system you employ to ensure equity among the income that priests might receive, the reality is that wealthier parishes will always have a comfort zone that poorer ones will not be able to achieve. This is very evident when it comes to things like building, maintaining buildings, fundraising for local, providing catechetical materials, paying staff etc.

The idea of ensuring that all priests would have a formally accredited qualification seems to me to be not only a good idea, but a very necessary one as the local church here continues to develop. However, the idea has remained just that, an idea. In fact, far from granting them a degree, it seems to me that many obstacles are placed in their paths as they try to attain one, based on their seminary studies.

Last night I discovered that in the group that I am teaching in the Lay Institute there are a number of priests who have been obliged to follow the course that I am teaching to be able to gain credits that will stand to them as they try to progress to study at the Catholic University. While there is no reason to suggest that anyone, priests included, would not benefit from following courses, ongoing formation, and in-service training, it cannot be ignored that the courses given in the Lay Institute are courses that these priests have already completed during their seminary training. In fact, the seminary course will have been more in-depth and more detailed - for a start, it is longer, there is more opportunity for study, and the seminarians are dedicated to studying (unlike those who attend the Lay Institute who are trying to fit in their studying around their already busy lives).

The situation that these priests find themselves to be in is very strange. They are being obliged to study what they have already studied and, in one case, taught to others. It is akin to asking a Leaving Certificate student to return to do a year of primary school - I am sure that we would all learn things by returning to primary school, but that is not the point.

I'm not sure what solution there might be to this situation but it is one that needs to be addressed by both the bishops here and the university authorities.

Presidential Elections

This year, in May, Panama will elect a new President. As you can imagine, the electioneering has already started and, unsurprisingly, the candidates appear to be spending much of their time telling voters why they shouldn't trust the other candidates - not so much time offering a manifesto or a plan for economic development.

Relative to most of its nearest neighbours (Colombia being the exception), Panama is a wealthy country - or, at least, it should be. Its history with the canal has meant that Panama has always been a sort of hub for commerce for this whole region. The canal alone represents a very significant slice of GDP and reports suggest that the canal alone accounts for up to five billion dollars' worth of income for the state. When you bear in mind that this is pretty much guaranteed income without the need for significant ongoing investment (maintenance of course is necessary), you can see that, in many ways, the Panama Canal is a sort of cash cow for the government here.

Panama is also a major centre for financial services and, according to the newspapers, has an economy that is currently growing by around 4.5% per year. While I am not an economist, it would seem that things in Panama are improving and that the country is becoming wealthier.

However, ongoing mismanagement of public funds and barefaced corruption and theft have meant that huge amounts of money have simply disappeared from the state's coffers. Nobody ever seems to be prosecuted for this sort of theft and people appear to stoically resign themselves to the reality of corruption as being something inevitable, that will never disappear.

When the presidential candidates promise to do away with corruption, the conclusion that many people draw is that they intend to do away with the corruption perpetrated by others. There is very little hope of any government genuinely acting for the good of the country and the cynicism that is to be found among the people is deeply-rooted: and, it has to be said, this cynicism is not entirely without foundation.

If the candidates are to be believed, once they are elected they will do away with corruption, poverty, transport problems, health system challenges and pretty much everything else that bothers people - roll on May!!!

Augustinian Seminary - the biggest in the country

Last night I went to stay with the Augustinians at their seminary which is called St. Thomas of Villanova (Patron of studies for the Order). It is located to the north of the city in an area known as Villa Zaita. This place was, until relatively recently, outside the city, as is evidenced by the fact that all the properties here have some sort of garden. The Augustinians have what would amount to a small field which they use in various ways: fruit for the house is grown there; there are a number of meeting points for groups to meet and discuss whatever it is they are reflecting on; and there is also a small concrete area for playing "mini football".

This is where the Panamanian Augustinians do their pre-novitiate - a two-year period during which they learn about Augustinian Spirituality; are introduced to the practice of private and community prayer; share responsibility for the care of the house; and generally are introduced to what Augustinian life is all about. During this time they also complete their philosopical studies at St. Joseph's Major Seminary (the place where I live while I am here).

There are currently 23 pre-novices in the house. This is a very significant number when you consider that the diocesan equivalent, the Preparatory Seminary (what would have been known years ago as the Minor Seminary) has only 8 students in residence. The Augustinians appear to do better than any diocese or other religious Order/ Congregation in Panama when it comes to getting vocations.

They are a lovely bunch of lads and it is always a pleasure to visit them. From my point of view, it is just not practical to live there as it would mean that teaching in the seminary and the lay institute would become very complicated logistically (I don't drive here and, while people are really very generous with their time, it would be very difficult to get someone to collect me from Villa Zaita and bring me back each time - just not doable).

Most of the lads are from Panama. There is one Columbian, one Nicaraguan, and there may be other nationalities that I didn't notice or hear about. Four of the students are from the Comarca. This is an area of Panama that is inhabited by the indigenous peoples who live here. In fact, it is more than living there - they enjoy, essentially, a sort of semi-independence, not unlike home rule. They have their own (traditional) system of justice and local administration based around the Cacique (chieftain) system. There are a number of different languages and quite distinct cultures among the indigenous peoples here in Panama and, so far successfully, they live in parallel to the more "mainstream" society. It is a great testament to the work that the Augustinians have done in their mission area of Tole to see that so many of these young men from a culture that is so different from that of most members of the Order, are willing to try this form of religious life.

Yesterday we did a lot of talking together, prayed and had Mass together, and even played chess and dominos - put I drew the line at football: that would have been a step too far for me.

St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero - witness to justice

On the 14th of October last, Pope Francis canonised Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador who was assassinated by the military of that country while he was celebrating Mass in 1980. His murder caused international uproar and when, at his funeral, the military opened fire on the crowds, they totally underestimated the reaction of the world's nations and the press. In fact, his murder led directly to the downfall of the regime which had governed El Salvador in the lead-up to, and during, one of the bloodiest civil wars in history: a war in which the state itself showed itself to be the terrorists - murdering thousands of innocent people who were only trying to live their lives.

The government, backed by the United States, was a right-wing government, determined to eradicate what it claimed was communism. However, what they were dealing with was not communism, but the struggle for justice and an end to oppression of a people who had already had to bear too much.

Romero had been one of the conservative bishops of his country's episcopate. He was considered a safe pair of hands and, when he was appointed, he was considered to someone who would not rock the political boat and who would accept the status quo. The government, externally catholic, wanted the support of the church - not because of anything to do with the kingdom of God, but because they saw it as a way of controlling the population of this deeply Catholic country.

What changed? What happened to make Romero become the leader that he became?

Really, two things changed him or, to put it in terms of our Lenten liturgies, two things transfigured him.

Firstly, his friend, Fr. Rutilio Grande SJ, was killed by the regime. Rutilio was committed to helping the poor to set up self-help and self-reliance groups. This was considered harmful by those in power as it was the first step towards an independent mindset among the poor. Rutilio was killed because of his commitment to social justice. He was one of those who was committed to the basic principles of what would come to be known as the Theology of Liberation.

Rutilio's murder brought the reality of what was goin on in El Salvador home to Oscar Romero. Seeing his friend dead meant that this was not just something that happened elsewhere, it was something that implied, influenced, oppressed, damaged, and threatened every Salvadoran person.

Romero's action after Rutilio's murder, however, is still quite measured. He condemns violence but with a weak voice.

The second thing that happens is a real example of the action of the Holy Spirit. The Second Vatican Council had spoken of the fact that the Spirit moves the hearts of all members of the church, not just the hierarchy or the clergy. The Salvadoran people became the leaders in their own church and, bit by bit at first, but then with greater strength, made it clear to their Archbishop that they needed him - not just as someone to "do the confirmations", but as someone who would be their leader and who would give a voice to the voiceless poor.

And so it was. Romero came to be the fearless advocate for justice and for the transformation of Salvadoran society.

This did not go down well with the regime who eventually, in 1980, when they had had enough, sent a death squad under the command of Major Robert D'Aubuisson to put an end to this troublesome priest. And so it was, having completed his sermon, Romero returned to the presider's chair to continue with the celebration of the Eucharist when he was shot and killed.

Nobody was ever prosecuted for his murder but it is claimed that the assassins' names are well-known in Salvadoran society.

Romero's funeral, a massivly-attended event was not, as I have mentioned already, a peaceful affair. Between 30 and 50 people were killed by the army, and a great number more were injured. You may remember that the late Bishop Eamonn Casey, who was present at the funeral, gave a very vivid account of what had happened on his return to Ireland including, if I am not mistaken, an interview with Gay Byrne on The Late Late Show.

40 years later, and El Salvador is once again in turmoil with rampant violence and civil unrest. Other countries in Central and South America are also facing huge challenges: oppression continues to be a plague; people are hungry; poverty is endemic; basic foodstuffs and medicines are unavailable; corruption is unashamed; and in some countries we can see the growth of violence and armed struggle: Venezuela, as you may be aware, is currently suffering through an undeclared civil war.

The voice of Romero and others like him still needs to be heard.

In less than three years, more than fifty priests have been attacked, threatened, calumniated. Six are already martyrs--they were murdered. Some have been tortured and others expelled [from the country]. Nuns have also been persecuted. The archdiocesan radio station and educational institutions that are Catholic or of a Christian inspiration have been attacked, threatened, intimidated, even bombed. Several parish communities have been raided. If all this has happened to persons who are the most evident representatives of the Church, you can guess what has happened to ordinary Christians, to the campesinos, catechists, lay ministers, and to the ecclesial base communities. There have been threats, arrests, tortures, murders, numbering in the hundreds and thousands.... But it is important to note why [the Church] has been persecuted. Not any and every priest has been persecuted, not any and every institution has been attacked. That part of the church has been attacked and persecuted that put itself on the side of the people and went to the people's defense. Here again we find the same key to understanding the persecution of the church: the poor.

— Óscar Romero, Speech at the Iniversité catholique de Louvain, Belgium, 2 February 1980.

The relics of St. Oscar Arnulfo Romero were brought to Panama to coincide with Pope Francis' visit here for World Youth Day (JMJ). They have been kept in the seminary since that date and are due to be transferred to the cathedral in the next few weeks. In the photos below you can see his Mitre, a bust of his head, and part of the alb he was wearing when he celebrated what turned out to be his last Mass - with the bloodstain clearly visible.
St. Oscar - Pray for us.

Romero's episcopal motto: "To Feel With the Church", adorns his mitre

Aid to the Church in Need and Permanent Deacons' Training

There have been lots of people visiting the seminary over the last few days and it has given the place an air of busyness that has changed the rhythm of things quite a bit.

Three men - an Italian, an Argentinian, and a Frenchman - who work with Aid to the Church in Need have been visiting on behalf of that organisation. They are on a preliminary visit to investigate what sorts of project might be possible for them to get involved with, or to start to assist the church here which is very much in the process of being developed. One of the things that they are specifically focusing on is projects to do with young people. World Youth Day has highlighted the place of young people in the Panamanian church and they are hoping to maximise the enthusiasm that this international event has generated and to harness that energy in favour of various projects.

While they haven't been specific about what projects they are investigating - I think they want to avoid giving particular groups expectations that may not be met later - they have visited quite a few of the dioceses here in Panama and have met with the bishops, the clergy and, of course, groups of young people. It will be very interesting to see what they eventually propose doing as, certainly at the moment, they seem very enthusiastic about the likelihood of beginning to work in Panama in the very near future.

As an aside: they tell me that they have quite a few Irish people working with them in their organisation and that they have a very busy office in Dublin - have to say, I was unaware of that.

We are also hosting a retreat for those who are preparing for the Permanent Diaconate. There are about 25 candidates participating and they appear to range in age from around 40 to around 60, with most of them being at the lower end of that age group. I have to say that they are a very pleasant group and show huge commitment to answering the call that they have experienced.

These men must first apply to be accepted. Then they must do some courses to bring their academic credits and theology up to a basic level. Once they have been accepted in to the programme they will have a further 3 years of studies - mostly at night, after they have completed their day's work - and they also undertake both spiritual direction and pastoral work in their parishes. It really is a huge candidate. At various stages during the process they are subject to evaluations and can either be invited to continue on with their training or else asked to leave the process: it is very demanding, not unlike the formation process for the seminarians - but these men are doing it while still holding down a job and rearing their families.

They arrived here yesterday (Friday) evening and will remain until Sunday afternoon. They seem to be really enjoying not only their retreat, but the formation process in itself as well.