Cuban bishop calls for dialogue amid protracted national crisis

ROME – One of Cuba’s pastors has called for dialogue and concrete collaboration to help the people amid widespread desperation and a social crisis that recently prompted the island’s bishops to cancel a planned visit to Rome to meet the pope.

Speaking to Crux, Bishop Arturo González Amador said, “this is the moment to tell the world: do not close your eyes, and much less your heart, to the suffering of the Cuban people.”

“This is not the time. It is not the time to condemn. It is not the time. It is the time for dialogue, and a dialogue that seeks effective solutions. As the Pope said,” he said.

Head of the Cuban Diocese of Santa Clara and president of the national bishops’ conference, González Amador spoke after the bishops’ recent decision to cancel their ad limina visit – a visit of the entire episcopal conference to Rome that typically happens every five years and allows bishops to meet with the pope and members of various Vatican departments.

In a Feb. 12 communique, the bishops announced that they had asked Pope Leo XIV to postpone their Feb. 16-20 ad limina visit due to “the worsening socio-economic situation of the country, which is generating so much insecurity and instability.”

Pope Leo had previously offered prayers for Cuba during his Feb. 1 Angelus address following an uptick in tensions between the island and the United States government, which maintains a strict embargo on Cuba, referring to a lengthy letter the Cuban bishops had published calling for change and for the development of the country amid a widespread social crisis.

In his appeal, the pope issued an appeal inviting “all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people.”

González Amador said the pope’s message was “truly appreciated” by the Cuban people, who lack basic food, medicines, infrastructure, and general social development, in large part due to the U.S.’s 60-year embargo.

However, both the Church in the United States and the U.S. have recently stepped in to provide significant aid packages to Cuba following the disastrous effects of Hurricane Melissa, which hit the island in the fall, causing widespread damage to populations already at great risk.

In his interview with Crux, González Amador spoke of the current living conditions in Cuba, the bishops’ decision to postpone their ad limina visit, and the “miraculous” delivery of humanitarian aid, first through the Archdiocese of Miami, and then through the U.S. government.

The partnership demonstrated by getting the aid to the people, for González Amador, is an illustration of the Church’s ability to go beyond political and ideological divides in caring for the people.

“We must do our part, and it is time for dialogue. Enough of being entrenched against one another; enough of uttering offensive words. Let us sit down and talk,” he said.

He voiced his belief that “this is what we need right now – for everyone to sit down and talk, for spaces of listening to open within the country and also between the authorities of both countries, so that a path toward a solution can be found for the suffering of a people who cannot [endure] much more.”

Please read below for Crux’s interview with Bishop Arturo González Amador:

Crux: Can you explain what made you want to postpone the ad limina to Rome?

González Amador: This was a process of discernment that cost us a great deal. For the past three weeks the situation in Cuba, as you know, has become more tense, more difficult. It is a moment of tension.

The definitive moment was Sunday afternoon, when we were about to leave for the airport, when the Cardinal, the Bishop of Cienfuegos, the assistant secretary, and I were already about to leave for the airport. News arrived – which we had already heard hints of – regarding the fuel difficulties for the planes. This truly put us in ‘between the sword and the wall,’ as we say.

We spoke with all the bishops; we heard the opinion of each one, and … they told us: ‘please ask the pope to postpone the ad limina.’ Because leaving Cuba is not the same when it’s one or two bishops going to Rome to speak with the pope or those abroad to explain our situation – it is quite another for the entire episcopal conference to be out of the country…But it cost us a lot because we yearned for the meeting with the Pope.

We need it. But to leave and be absent for so many days… there is so much uncertainty regarding the future. We don’t know what could happen here. It is truly difficult to be away in this situation.

How did the people react to this decision?

The people have been very grateful. Look at the pope’s words during the Angelus…they truly appreciate those words from the pope about dialogue. The people value it. [But] it has been painful because we were looking forward to this visit and this meeting with the pope with great desire, because we need it. We need him to meet the bishops, so that we can speak to him about our reality.

What is the central message that you wanted to bring to Rome?

It is one thing when one speaks from a distance or through a written document, and another when one can explain oneself in person. Of course, there was [supposed to be] a meeting with the Pope and in the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia. It couldn’t happen. We didn’t have the opportunity to present ourselves as direct witnesses of everything that the Church and the Cuban people are living through.

The Church is seen as being very close to the people, and the people really recognize the Church with authority, with moral prestige. The Church’s charitable works, humanitarian projects, and assistance…for people who are not part of the Church, this is like the first proclamation of the Gospel. And these people continue doing their work.

Our desire was to give direct testimony to what the people are living and what the Church does to support the people, and also to hear a word that might comfort, encourage and guide us. And, if necessary, even correct us.

What is the current situation in Cuba? What is life like for the people?

Daily life in Cuba is very difficult. Every moment of our life is very difficult. In every sector, in every single one, and it gets worse by the day. Think about the difficulties a mother has in preparing food because she has nothing to cook with. Think about how during the night, every summer, in the Cuban heat – which is most of the year – it is impossible to sleep because there is no electricity, fans don’t work, and there are mosquitoes.

Then think about the ones who don’t sleep, the ones who don’t rest well, who don’t eat well, they don’t have the capacity to perform at work, or to study. Teachers say that some children fall asleep in classrooms. Why? Because they haven’t been fed, because they haven’t rested. Think about how public transport has been reduced to nothing. Right now, it really doesn’t exist. So, how do people get around? Think about how they reach a hospital on a bicycle – how is that pulse for opening and abdomen or holding a scalpel in his hand afterwards? Think about what resources there are in the hospital; there are patients who perhaps aren’t even admitted. Why? Because there are no resources.

The streets are filthy, laden with trash. Filth and sewage run through our streets – the insects, the flies, the gnats, the rats, the cockroaches, and all that. Why? Because the streets cannot be cleaned. You see the reality of the people. Cubans are clean people; they take pride in their appearance. And now you see all these people neglected, dirty. So, this is very hard.

It is a situation that is invading every sector of life. People have no way to get to work. Then you go to an office to handle a public matter and there is no one to assist you because the person in charge couldn’t get there because they had no transport. And this happens in every sphere of life. The farmer has nothing to work with or to cultivate the land because he has no tools right now.

Priests and the religious sisters themselves have difficulty reaching their mission sites. The laypeople, the lay catechists, have difficulty traveling to their missions. You go to a nursing home…[and you] find a state of shocking deterioration because they have no potable water, because they have nothing to clean with, because they have no clothes to change the elderly. It is striking. You see people in the streets, even in the city. In fact, in a city of 250,000 inhabitants, you see them carrying buckets of water from the house of someone who has a well because in their own home, there hasn’t been water for a month or two.

So, it is a life that is an uphill battle; it becomes very difficult, and this tires people out, it depresses people, it robs people of hope. People now live with great distrust; they face reality and the future with great uncertainty and insecurity. They no longer believe in anyone. It has been a process of deterioration that has been prolonged over many years, and it is very intense to live through that every day.

For the Church, for the pastors, it becomes very difficult to give hope to the faithful. It is really very intense because it is not easy. Now, with this whole fuel situation, it becomes worse; it becomes even harsher.

Can you explain what humanitarian aid has been given to Cuba so far, after Hurricane Melissa?

There was an initial donation that had nothing to do with the American government. The first donation came from the Archdiocese of Miami; they sent four planes carrying food, hygiene supplies, and also mosquito nets. Those kinds of things. Protection against mosquitoes. They sent one plane for each of the affected dioceses with a large cargo. This was the first [aid to arrive] and that was able to be processed. Caritas received that directly, but it had nothing to do with the American government. This occurred during the months of November and December.

More recently, in January, the first shipment from the United States [government] arrived via the planes to the dioceses of Holguín and Santiago de Cuba. And now this week, the ships arrived there in Santiago de Cuba.

The Ambassador in Havana called me to ask: ‘Would the Catholic Church be willing to channel this $3 million in aid offered by the American government?’ I said, ‘Look, we will put the National Caritas and the diocesan and parish Caritas in charge of this.’ You must negotiate it with the Cuban authorities, because we are not the ones who authorize the entry of the donation. And I asked for permission to communicate this to the authorities as well.

It was actually a very rapid process. I would say from a Saturday, November 1st at 4:00 PM, to Sunday the 2nd at noon; by then, it had already been accepted by the Cuban authorities and by the president and national director of Caritas Cuba. And so, we bishops were working to help ensure things went forward smoothly. On the other hand, our interlocutor was CRS [Catholic Relief Services] – that is the other institution of the Catholic Church in the United States. In other words, we worked from Church to Church, administering funds donated by the American administration – by the American people, ultimately. That is where the dialogues and arrangements began, and we are currently in that process.

All types of politicization have been avoided. First and foremost, all types of manipulation have been avoided, we have prevented the donated resources from going to recipients other than those for whom they were intended. And it has truly been a beautiful way of working. We already had experience, because we have worked with funds from the European Community and some other countries, and this really gave us the capability. Right now, the Cuban Caritas is weak because many of our volunteers have emigrated. The migratory process of the last two years has been very intense, but furthermore, many of our volunteers are elderly people.

However, it is incredible how Caritas always searches for paths, always finds support among the people, even among people who are not practicing Catholics but who join Caritas to help with the spirit of Caritas. Because if there is one thing we wanted, it is that during this process, the spirit of Caritas is not lost. We are going to use the resources placed in our hands, but these resources and this humanitarian action must help us grow in the spirit of Caritas: that is, that faith dimension of life which is the dimension of charity, of helping the poor. That dimension of empowering the poor, of not humiliating them… of [reaching] the person in need without asking about their ideology, political thought, or religious creed. I believe this spirit of Caritas has truly been strengthened as well.

How was it delivered? From what I understand, this was a significant accomplishment given the ongoing political tensions between the United States and Cuba…

First, planes arrived at the airports in Santiago de Cuba and Holguín. After that, a ship arrived. A second ship is already on its way; I believe it was already arriving at the port of Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is a very long, narrow island. If the resources arrived at the port of Mariel or Havana in the West, transporting these products from the West to the East of the country – which is the affected area, very affected at this moment – became very costly, difficult, and long.

So, we always insisted that this [aid] arrive through the East, and the first vessel did indeed enter. There have been no difficulties, thank God. There was a second vessel that I believe arrived yesterday. Forgive me for not being able to give you the exact details, but it has been a very good thing.

How was the first shipment of aid from the Archdiocese of Miami arranged, if the government wasn’t involved?

Regarding the first wave of aid from the Archdiocese of Miami, they communicated to us their readiness to collect food [and] hygiene supplies and send it to Cuba. So, I discussed it with the authorities. They told us, ‘There is no difficulty.’ We spoke with the Archbishop [of Miami], we spoke with Caritas Miami, we spoke with several priests, with [Father Richard Vigoa], and several others, and we coordinated this.

Really, it was processed very quickly. The Christian communities in Miami helped immensely, and the government…One plane would be arranged, it would land in Santiago de Cuba, and it was actually very easy. The products always went into the hands of the Church and into Church warehouses. They took them directly from the airport; the bishops would take them to their dioceses, and the distribution would begin through the areas they themselves had designated.

It seems like a bit of a miracle that everything worked out so smoothly…

Yes. I truly believe it was a miracle, and it was very streamlined. On the part of the Cuban authorities, there was no objection. It was always fast. We always asked those in Miami: ‘Careful, please – ensure there is no manipulation, no political propaganda,’ and they truly handled it very well. People have worked with the realization that this is not a moment to manipulate the suffering or the needs of a people.

And I tell you truly, we have received impressive support from Miami. The Archbishop was ready to support in whatever way was necessary. He is someone who knows the Cuban reality and the Cuban people, and he knows this is not a time for games because the people are suffering greatly.

Is this an illustration, in your view, of the church’s ability to go beyond political and ideological divisions to build bridges of good, in your view?

Certainly. Look, in the bishops’ letter we said: ‘By talking, men come to understand one another.’ And this is really a truth. We must do our part, and it is time for dialogue. Enough of being entrenched against one another; enough of uttering offensive words. Let us sit down and talk. The Pope’s words during the Angelus were very good, calling for a sincere, serious, and effective dialogue. I believe that is what we need right now – for everyone to sit down and talk, for spaces of listening to open within the country and also between the authorities of both countries, so that a path toward a solution can be found for the suffering of a people who cannot [endure] much more.

Do you think this dialogue is possible?

I believe it is possible. I believe it is possible and we cannot give up. Look, violence and confrontation always generate suffering. Dialogue always engenders hope, and that must be promoted. And the Church is willing to do it, and to take whatever risks it must take to do so. We cannot abandon that. I would tell you: we must look at Cuba. The world must look at Cuba and see its suffering, the suffering of its people, and get close enough to see it firsthand.

When priests send me reports from their parishes, photographs of the charitable works of the parish Caritas, photos of the elderly, of the state of their homes, it is very painful. The world does not fully know this. On the other hand, it’s true that many years have been spent talking about the suffering of Cuba and the Cuban people, and perhaps the world is tired of hearing the same thing.

But this is the moment to tell the world: do not close your eyes, and much less your heart, to the suffering of the Cuban people. This is not the time. It is not the time to condemn. It is not the time. It is the time for dialogue, and a dialogue that seeks effective solutions. As the Pope said.

Follow Elise Ann Allen on X: @eliseannallen