Cardinal Beniamino Stella, envoy of the Pope Francisco to Cuba, affirmed this Wednesday in Havana that the Catholic Church He “very much wishes” that the Cuban government release those convicted of the anti-government protests of July 11, 2021 (11J).
Stella positioned herself in this way in a statement to the press after speaking at an event at the University of Havana, attended by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, in memory of Pope John Paul II’s trip to the island 25 years ago. years.
“The Pope very much wants there to be a positive response (from the Cuban government) (…). It is important that the young people who at one point expressed their thoughts in the way we know them can return to their homes”, he affirmed.
The cardinal assured that during his visit to Cuba he has been able to express to the Cuban authorities this “desire” of the Church and expressed his hope that from the “useful and positive moment” that his visit has brought about, “new things for the people” will be born. Cuban”.
The cardinal claimed the role of dialogue, from “kindness and respect”, both within the country and in its relations with the United States: “Speaking can find solutions.”
The Vatican wants “those who have power to be able to talk to each other, to be able to listen to each other,” Stella said, because “things can come out of that that benefit the Cuban people.”
“Hopefully it happens and it happens soon (this dialogue), and it becomes an important step for many advances that the Cuban people greatly need. There are things that need to be done and done soon,” he added.
Stella arrived in Cuba on January 23 on a trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the pastoral visit to Cuba by John Paul II, the first pope to be on the island, in a historic gesture. Later, his next two successors, Benedict XVI and Francisco, would go to Cuba.
After a few days in Havana, in which she had the opportunity to meet with some senior officials of the Cuban government, Stella began a trip to visit all the Catholic dioceses in the country and meet with their leaders.
