March 26, 2012.
(Romereports.com) (-ONLY VIDEO-)
Benedict XVI made his first speech in Cuba at the airport of Santiago
de Cuba. This is the 23rd international trip of his pontificate, but his
first to Cuba. John Paul II visited the island in 1998.
COMPLETE TEXT:
Mr President,
Dear Cardinals and Brother Bishops,
Distinguished Authorities,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear People of Cuba,
Thank
you, Mr President, for your welcome and your kind words, with which you
also conveyed the sentiments of respect of the Cuban government and
people for the Successor of Peter. I greet the civil authorities here
present, as well as the members of the diplomatic corps. I cordially
greet the President of the Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Dionisio
Guillermo García Ibáñez of Santiago de Cuba; the Archbishop of Havana,
Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, and my other Brother Bishops of Cuba,
and I assure them of my deep spiritual closeness. Finally, I greet with
heartfelt affection all the faithful of the Catholic Church in Cuba, the
beloved people of this beautiful island, and all Cubans wherever they
may be. You are always present in my heart and prayers, especially in
the days preceding the much anticipated moment of my visit to you, which
the grace and goodness of God has made possible.
Standing here
among you, I cannot but recall the historic visit to Cuba of my
predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, who left an indelible mark on the
soul of all Cubans. For many, whether believers or not, his example and
his teachings are a luminous guide for their personal lives and their
public activity in the service of the common good of the nation. His
visit to this island was like a gentle breath of fresh air which gave
new strength to the Church in Cuba, awakening in many a renewed
awareness of the importance of faith and inspiring them to open their
hearts to Christ, while at the same time kindling their hope and
encouraging their desire to work fearlessly for a better future. One of
the important fruits of that visit was the inauguration of a new phase
in the relationship in Cuba between Church and State, in a new spirit of
cooperation and trust, even if many areas remain in which greater
progress can and ought to be made, especially as regards the
indispensable public contribution that religion is called to make in the
life of society.
I am pleased to share your joy as you celebrate
the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of the holy statue of
Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre. Since the beginning she has been very
much present in the personal lives of Cubans as well as in the great
events of the nation, especially since independence, for she is honoured
by all as the true mother of the Cuban people. Devotion to the Virgen
Mambisa has sustained the faith and inspired the defence and promotion
of all that gives dignity to the human condition and its fundamental
rights, and continues to do so today with ever greater strength, giving
visible witness to the fruitfulness of the preaching of the Gospel in
these lands, and to the profound Christian roots which shape the deepest
identity of the Cuban soul. Following in the footsteps of countless
pilgrims down the centuries, I too wish to go to El Cobre to kneel at
the feet of the Mother of God, to thank her for her concern for all her
Cuban children, and to ask her to guide the future of this beloved
nation in the ways of justice, peace, freedom and reconciliation.
I
come to Cuba as a pilgrim of charity, to confirm my brothers and
sisters in the faith and strengthen them in the hope which is born of
the presence of God’s love in our lives. I carry in my heart the just
aspirations and legitimate desires of all Cubans, wherever they may be,
their sufferings and their joys, their concerns and their noblest
desires, those of the young and the elderly, of adolescents and
children, of the sick and workers, of prisoners and their families, and
of the poor and those in need.
Many parts of the world today are
experiencing a time of particular economic difficulty, that not a few
people regard as part of a profound spiritual and moral crisis which has
left humanity devoid of values and defenceless before the ambition and
selfishness of certain powers which take little account of the true good
of individuals and families. We can no longer continue in the same
cultural and moral direction which has caused the painful situation that
many suffer. On the other hand, real progress calls for an ethics which
focuses on the human person and takes account of the most profound
human needs, especially man’s spiritual and religious dimension. In the
hearts and minds of many, the way is thus opening to an ever greater
certainty that the rebirth of society demands upright men and women of
firm moral convictions, with noble and strong values who will not be
manipulated by dubious interests and who are respectful of the
unchanging and transcendent nature of the human person.
Dear
friends, I am convinced that Cuba, at this moment of particular
importance in its history, is already looking to the future, and thus is
striving to renew and broaden its horizons. Of great help in this
enterprise will be the fine patrimony of spiritual and moral values
which fashioned the nation’s true identity, and which stand out in the
work and the life of many distinguished fathers of the country, like
Blessed José Olallo y Valdés, the Servant of God Félix Varela, and the
acclaimed José Martí. For her part, the Church too has diligently
contributed to the cultivation of those values through her generous and
selfless pastoral mission, and renews her commitment to work tirelessly
the better to serve all Cubans.
I ask the Lord to bless
abundantly this land and its children, in particular those who feel
disadvantaged, the excluded and all those who suffer in body or spirit.
At the same time, I pray that, through the intercession of Our Lady of
Charity of El Cobre, he will grant to all a future of hope, solidarity
and harmony. Thank you.
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