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May 3, 1989
Most Reverend Jose Dimas Cedeno D.
Bishop of Santiago
President of the Episcopal Conference of Panama
Apartado 386
Panama 1,
Republic of Panama
Dear Bishop Cedeno:
At this critical time in the life of the people of Panama, I wish to express my firm support for the efforts which you, the pastors of the Church in Panama, are making on behalf of peaceful solutions to the present conflicts. I especially applaud the recent pastoral statement of the Panamanian Episcopal Conference (April 5, 1989) upholding the values of true democracy and justice; I hope and pray that its wise counsel will be seriously considered and widely accepted.
With you, I also am troubled by the "intrusion of foreign pressures, economic as well as ideological," which have only worsened the internal crisis and added unnecessarily to the suffering of many. We continue to urge our own government to devise policies toward Panama that are realistic, far-sighted and humane.
We join with you in praying that you and your people will be blessed with the grace, the strength and the peace of the Risen Lord.
With every best wish, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend John L. May
Archbishop of St. Louis
President