honestly, transparently, simply, and “be opposed to all forms of corruption”.

Last year, a Transparency International report on corruption in Latin America showed that more than half of people surveyed in 20 countries believed their government was failing to address corruption and one in three said they had to pay a bribe for public services.

Francis praised those in the Latin American Church, who, like assassinated Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero, had tried to keep the truth alive “in the face of injustice, the spread of poverty, and the abuse of power”.

Romero, a champion of the poor, became a human rights icon in Latin America when he was killed by a right-wing death squad in 1980 while he was saying Mass. He was made a saint last year.

Romero’s path to sainthoodhad stalled under two previous popes, reflecting concerns by some bishops in Latin America and the Vatican that he was overly political. But Francis speeded it up after his election as the first Latin American pope in 2013.

In the past, Francis criticized bishops who spoke badly of Romero even after his assassination, saying they had defamed and slandered him. On Thursday, Francis said Romero’s name had become “a dirty word” for some.

Francis told Reuters in June he had wanted to make a stop in nearby El Salvador during his Panama visit to pray at Romero’s tomb. Francis later decided to make a longer trip to El Salvador sometime in the future.