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Panama The Roman Catholic Church
Although Panama was nearly 90 percent Roman Catholic in the
late 1980s, the church had a long tradition of noninvolvement in
national politics
(see Religion
, ch. 2). Weak organization and a
heavy dependence on foreign clergy (only 40 percent of the nation's
priests were native-born Panamanians) inhibited the development of
strong hierarchical positions on political issues. As a result,
Panamanian politics largely avoided the anticlericalism that was so
prevalent in much of Latin America. Church concern over social
issues increased notably in the 1960s and 1970s, and there were
conflicts between the hierarchy and the Torrijos government,
especially following the disappearance in 1971 of a prominent
reform priest, Father Héctor Gallegos.
In the late 1980s, the church hierarchy was headed by
Archbishop Marcos Gregorio McGrath, a naturalized Panamanian
citizen and a leader among the Latin American bishops. McGrath and
the other bishops strongly supported Panama's claims to sovereignty
over the Canal Zone and urged ratification of the Panama Canal
treaties. Nevertheless, the church leadership also criticized the
lack of democracy in Panama and urged a return to elected civilian
rule. In 1985, as political tensions began to mount, the archbishop
called for an investigation into the murder of Dr. Hugo Spadafora
and urged both the government and the opposition to enter into a
national dialogue. When the 1987 disturbances began, the church
stepped up its criticism of the government, accusing the military
of having "beaten civilians without provocation" and of using
"tactics to humiliate arrested individuals." Priests were
frequently present at CCN rallies and demonstrations, and masses
downtown became a focal point for some CCN activities. Priests also
stayed with Díaz Herrera in his house after he issued his June 1987
charges against Noriega and the government, and when the house was
stormed by the FDP and Díaz Herrera arrested, the bishops demanded
his release and denounced government restrictions on the press. But
the church stopped short of endorsing the CCN or calling for
specific changes in the government and the FDP. Instead, it
stressed the need for dialogue and reconciliation. The archbishop's
insistence on pursuing a moderate, neutral course in the conflict
did not satisfy all of the church leadership. In November, two
assistant bishops and a large number of clergy issued their own
letter, denouncing government actions and urging changes in the
conduct of the military. In late 1987, the church was becoming more
active but was finding it difficult to agree on the manner and
nature of that activity.
Data as of December 1987
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