Bishop Osmar López urges Santa María de Fe to prioritize health, justice and the fight against corruption

During the central Mass honoring Santa María de Fe, Bishop Osmar López delivered a forceful appeal to put public health, justice and the fight against corruption at the center of public life.

López, bishop of the Diocese of Misiones and Ñeembucú, said corruption is a “grave sin” that destroys human dignity. He called for a health budget that improves medical care and urged the justice system to stop being subjected to the power of the government of the day.

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We hope that the health budget will be prioritized and medical care improved, and that justice will no longer be subjected to the power of the government of the day.

Reflecting on the Virgin Mary as a symbol of purity and the “new man,” López said the love of money is “the root of all evil.” When money takes precedence over Gospel values, he warned, education, justice, politics, health and the environment become corrupted.

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The root of all evil is the love of money.

The bishop also called on parents, teachers and priests to act as “guardians” of children and adolescents, ensuring safe spaces in the Church, the family and society. He demanded compliance with environmental laws so that the drive for money does not destroy God’s creation, and criticized students’ low reading-comprehension levels. Education that fails to develop critical awareness, he said, “is not liberating education.”

López urged public officials to view politics as a service. “A public servant must say: ‘I am a servant of the people and the community,’” he said. The Mass followed a traditional procession through the city’s main avenues, accompanied by local residents and visitors. The Canto a Santa María festival also brought national artists and a large crowd.

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A public servant must say: ‘I am a servant of the people and the community.’