The Pope blesses the future of Cuba and meets Fidel Castro
Havana (AsiaNews) - "Hasta siempre, Cuba, a land made beautiful by the
maternal presence of Mary. May God bless your future": with these words of
comfort and hope Benedict XVI yesterday bid farewell at 16.30 local time to the
Cuban people and authorities after three-day visit to
the island. A
few hours beforehe held the long-awaited meeting with Fidel Castro at the
nunciature Havana. The
Leader Maximo, embrittled by the disease, expressed enthusiasm for the
beatification of Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II and spoke of some
spiritual themes.
The
reason behind Benedict XVI's visit to Cuba was a celebration of 400 years since
the discovery of the statue of the Virgen del Cobre, but more profoundly, to
push the government to take steps for greater freedom for the Church and
society, and
support Christians in their efforts of evangelisation and social involvement.
In
his farewell address, the Pope hoped that his witness would "reinforce the
enthusiasm and concern of the Cuban bishops, priests and religious; and" serve
as a new impulse to all those who cooperate with perseverance and
self-sacrifice in the work of evangelization, particularly the lay faithful. By
intensifying their commitment to God at home and in the workplace, may they
never tire of offering their responsible contribution for the good and the
integral progress of their homeland. "
And
in a hint that the U.S. embargo makes it difficult for the country's economy
and lack of freedom that still dominates the island, Benedict XVI added: "May
no one feel excluded from taking up this exciting task because of limitations
of his or her basic freedoms, or excused by indolence or lack of material
resources, a situation which is worsened when restrictive economic measures,
imposed from outside the country, unfairly burden its people".
"Respect
and promotion of freedom which is present in the heart of each person are
essential in order to respond adequately to the fundamental demands of his or
her dignity and, in this way, to build up a society in which all are
indispensable actors in the future of their life, their family and their
country".
He
hopes that "all Cubans so that, from the hand of Christ, they might
discover the true meaning of the desires and aspirations found in the human
heart and gain the strength needed to build a fraternal society in which no one
feels excluded.." He
calls on Cuba and the world to overcome hardships and closures to affirm the
dialogue as the only path to peace: "The present hour urgently demands
that in personal, national and international co-existence we reject immovable
positions and unilateral viewpoints which tend to make understanding more
difficult and efforts at cooperation ineffective. Possible discrepancies and difficulties
will be resolved by tirelessly seeking what unites everyone, with patient and
sincere dialogue, and a willingness to listen and accept goals which will bring
new hope.
In
the morning, the pope celebrated mass at the Revolution Square, attended by
over 300 thousand faithful. Back in
nunciature, he received Fidel Castro. The
visit was not in the Pope's initial program, but Castro himself had expressed
the desire to spend "several minutes" with the pope. The director of the Vatican
Press, Fr. Federico
Lombardi, said that the meeting, which lasted half an hour, was "very
friendly".. "The
pope spoke of his delight to be in Cuba and the cordiality with which he was
received. Fidel said he had followed all the visit on TV." Fidel
Castro also thanked Benedict XVI for two beatifications: that of Mother Teresa,
Cuba's benefactor, for whom he had reverence and gratitude, and that of John
Paul II, who came to Cuba in 1998. The
two senior leaders, almost the same age, they even joked about their age:
almost 85 the pope, almost 86 the 'Lider Maximo': "I am old but I can
still do my duty," the pontiff said.
Mrs.
Dalia, Fidel's wife, and two sons were also present who were then presented to
the pontiff.
The
dialogue also touched on philosophical and theological issues, not least
because ', Fr. Lombardi
as mentioned, "now the life of the commander is dedicated to thinking and
writing." Fidel
asked the Pope to explain the changes in the liturgy of the Church, different
from those of the pre-Council, known by him as a young man.
The
former Cuban president also highlighted "the difficulty of the times of
today, with the science that is not able to respond to the needs of humanity
today." And
"the Pope has linked the issue with the absence of God, with no knowledge
of God that is important to give freedom and responsibility."
Among
other things, Fidel has also asked what a pope does Benedict XVI responded by
explaining the value of his journey's to meet the diverse peoples and reinforce
the unity of the universal Church.
During
these three days the Pope did not encounter any dissident or representatives of
movements such as the "Ladies in White", who are calling for the
release of prisoners of conscience. Just
a few days ahead of the visit, at least 60 people were arrested or placed under
house arrest to keep them away from the church yesterday. According
to human rights organizations, the phone of some people or groups had been blocked.
But
in the days before the visit, the nuncio in Havana met the Ladies in white. And Fr. Lombardi
pointed out that the pope, while he had not physically met dissidents, had their
situation in mind. "It
is true - he said - that the Pope has met Fidel Castro and not the dissidents,
but their expectations were very present in the speeches he delivered and discussions
that he had with the Cuban authorities." Benedict
XVI, he reminded again, "spoke of prisoners and people who are distant
from Cuba or in difficult situations."
.png)
26/11/2016 11:38
28/03/2012
