The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba published this Wednesday a message in which he pointed out “the hunger, loneliness and lack of freedom” experienced by the citizens of the Island and once again called for the release of political prisoners. The communiqué, whose theme is the preparation for Christmas, also recalls that 25 years ago the Government agreed to declare the day as a holiday.
The bishops announced the visit, next January, of Cardinal Beniamino Stella, who served as apostolic nuncio –Vatican ambassador to the island– during the Special Period. Stella, a frontal diplomat and critic of Castroism, was the one who organized the trip of Pope John Paul II in 1998, the first made by a pontiff to Cuba.
The commemoration of the quarter century of that visit, which “marked the history” of relations between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government, was proposed by the bishops to Pope Francis in a recent meeting in Vatican City. As of January 24, Stella will tour all the Cuban dioceses, the statement said.
The rest of the message is dedicated by the prelates to reflect on the current Cuban reality, avoiding explicit mention of the responsibility of the Government in the different crises that the country is experiencing. They argue that an environment of “fear, mistrust, routine, lies and hatred” prevails in Cuba.
They called for the hope of the Cuban people “in the midst of so much darkness and discouragement,” and to commit to the transformation of history “from within.”
They alluded to “families suffering from emigration” and called, cryptically, to recognize the “signs” that are “guiding, encouraging or warning us about dangers” in the country where “our history is being woven.” They also lamented the “pain and loneliness of so many elderly, sick or suffering serious difficulties and deprivations.”
At the most critical moment in the statement, the bishops mentioned “those who suffer from hunger, loneliness, lack of freedom and expect a gesture of clemency or mercy from us.” “How much joy it would bring to their families and people in general to know that, this Christmas, a good number of those who are in prison are released and return to their homes to return to normal life and thus start the new year!” , they wished.
The prisoners’ requests for amnesty have been frequent on the part of the Catholic Church, which in 2015 took advantage of the visit of Pope Francis and obtained from the Government the release of more than 3,500 inmates. However, he has had little success in his demands for the release of Cubans detained after the protests of July 11, 2021.
They called for the hope of the Cuban people “in the midst of so much darkness and discouragement” and to commit to the transformation of history “from within.” “No one can fight in life in isolation,” they said, while pointing out the need for a “community,” “a homeland of brothers where each one can live with dignity, where we listen to each other and dialogue to discern the future, where we fight for the good of all, especially those who have been marginalized for various reasons”.
The most interesting part of the communiqué is the announcement of the visit of Cardinal Stella, “a nuncio who knows our reality perfectly”.
The text concludes by sending the blessing of the prelates to the Cubans on the Island and to those who are “scattered around the world.”
For Jorge, a lay Catholic from the diocese of Santa Clara consulted by 14ymediothe message of the bishops “has more to do with forgiveness”, although “they highlight the situation in Cuba: despair, sadness, divisions”.
“Some of us believe that it could be more frontal against the Government,” he affirms, “but the bishops did not forget the families that suffer from the emigration of their members, the freedom of the prisoners, the pain and loneliness of the elderly, those who suffer great deficiencies and lack of freedom”. “It’s a very simple message that goes more to hope,” she says.
Jorge points out that the most interesting part of the statement is the announcement of the visit of Cardinal Stella, “a nuncio who knows our reality perfectly.” The Vatican envoy will find, in his opinion, “a government that is on the defensive” and that he will not see this visit with good eyes or will interpret it as a “supervision”. Also, “they won’t have much time to prepare.”
The last visit of Cardinal Beniamino Stella to the Island occurred in 2015, in the midst of the “thaw” between Cuba and the US. His return occurred in a similar context, when new attempts at dialogue were being developed between the two governments that, unlike at that time, They have dispensed with the mediation of the Catholic Church.
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