---
title: "Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa condemns corruption during Panama’s Great Eucharistic Gathering"
date: 2026-04-12
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-corruption-child-poverty-ulloa/
categories:
  - "Health"
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "Catholic gathering"
  - "child poverty"
  - "corruption"
  - "José Domingo Ulloa"
  - "Panama Church"
---

# Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa condemns corruption during Panama’s Great Eucharistic Gathering

## What Happened

During the Great Eucharistic Gathering 2026, Archbishop of Panama José Domingo Ulloa drew attention to the poverty and extreme poverty affecting more than 482 children nationwide. He linked that reality to corruption and impunity, saying they strip bread from the poor and steal the country’s future.

His remarks placed social inequality at the center of a major religious event, framing poverty not only as an economic challenge but also as a moral and civic concern for Panama.

## Why It Matters

The archbishop’s comments echoed a broader public debate in Panama over how corruption and weak accountability affect everyday life. By connecting those issues to children living in poverty, he underscored the human cost of public wrongdoing and the pressure it places on families already facing hardship.

In Panama, the Church often uses its platform to speak on social conditions, and comments delivered during a large faith gathering can resonate well beyond the cathedral setting. The message also reflects growing concern over whether national institutions are doing enough to protect vulnerable communities.

## Background

The Great Eucharistic Gathering brings together members of the Catholic community for prayer and reflection. Within that setting, Ulloa’s message emphasized that faith cannot be separated from the reality experienced by children and families living in poverty.

His reference to “the wounds of the risen one” tied religious symbolism to social justice, presenting corruption as a wound that affects the country as a whole. The statement also reinforced a theme frequently raised in public discourse: that poverty is not only measured in numbers, but in lost opportunities, health, education, and hope.

## What This Means for Panama

By highlighting children in poverty and calling out corruption in the same message, Ulloa placed moral responsibility on both leaders and society. The remarks are likely to renew discussion about transparency, justice, and the urgent need to protect the country’s most vulnerable population.

For many Panamanians, the warning carries symbolic weight because it connects religious language with a concrete social problem. It also adds pressure on public institutions to confront inequality in a way that goes beyond promises and acknowledges the impact on children and families across the country.