Within the framework of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the historic apostolic visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba, the first of a Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, the Cardinal of the Vatican, Beniamino Stella, will visit Cuba starting this Monday as envoy of Pope Francis,
Cardinal Stella, who was Apostolic Nuncio in Cuba between 1993 and 1999, will hold talks with Cuban government authorities and will participate in pastoral activities, he indicated in a release the Ministry of Foreign Relations (Minrex).
In Stella’s previous visit to Cuba, in April 2015 –a few months before Pope Francis’ first trip– she fulfilled a program of meetings with the Episcopal Conference and priests, deacons and seminarians in various Cuban dioceses, official meetings with authorities of the country and celebrated Eucharist in the Cathedrals of Santiago de Cuba (east), Camagüey (center) and Havana (west).
Visit #Cuba Cardinal Beniamino Stella, envoy of Pope Francis.
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— Cuban Foreign Ministry (@CubaMINREX) January 21, 2023
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recalled today on his Twitter profile that this January 21 marked the 25th anniversary of the start of the pastoral visit to Cuba by Pope John Paul II, which lasted four days.
He also recalled the five open masses that the pontiff celebrated at that time in various provinces, which were also repeated by his successors Benedict XVI (March 2012) and Francisco (September 2015) during their respective apostolic trips to the island.
In February 2016, the Pope Francisco He traveled again to Havana -for a brief stay- during which he had a meeting with the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, considered a historical event after the schism that occurred in Christianity 10 centuries ago.
Pope Francis sends a message to Cubans for the anniversary of the visit of John Paul II
Pope Francis recalled in a letter sent last December to the Cuban bishops on the occasion of the anniversary of John Paul II’s apostolic trip, that Cardinal Stella was a “privileged witness of that event.”
The Holy Father expressed his desire that “during this time the gestures and words” that John Paul II addressed to them during his visit be made present in their hearts again.
“May they resonate strongly in the present, and give new impetus to continue building the future of that nation with hope and determination,” Francis said.
