Reality, faces, challenges and hopes of migrants and the Pastoral of Human Mobility in Panama

Abstract

The Church, as the People of God on the journey, has been sensitive and supportive of the issue of migration and human rights, precisely because it is a biblical and theological theme. Jesus Christ identified with the migrant in his statement: “I was a migrant and you welcomed me.” Then, at all the critical moments in history when this phenomenon presented itself as a cry to the Church, in all the different times and places, the Church has been present as a sister and mother to people displaced, refugees, and abandoned by the various causes of the unjust economic and political systems that fuel this phenomenon. This path has gained momentum in recent centuries, as migrations have spread throughout the world, becoming massive, complex, and diverse. At the same time, they have emerged as a phenomenon full of opportunities, contributions, and hope for a more just, fraternal, and supportive humanity for all peoples. Likewise, in times of political, social, cultural, and economic challenges and difficulties, invariably accompanied by various forms of violence, the Church has sought to be present through a comprehensive service of welcome, support, and protection. One of these challenging situations is the case of the Darien forest strait, between Colombia and Panama, which in recent years has become one of the main south-north migration routes. Thousands travel this route in search of reaching Mexico and the United States of America (USA).