Havana, June 5 (Prensa Latina) President Miguel Díaz-Canel reaffirmed today in this capital the will to continue strengthening the constructive dialogue between Cuba and the Holy See, the Presidency of the Republic announced.
The statement, according to the text, came during a meeting between the head of state and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See.
“It was a pleasure for Díaz-Canel to welcome the archbishop back to Cuba,” he said, expressing his respect and esteem for the island nation. He noted that his visit is taking place in the context of the commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the island and the Holy See.
He also highlighted that ten years ago, then-Cuban President Raúl Castro visited the Vatican, and Pope Francis also made a pastoral visit to Cuba.
There is a sense of respect and admiration among our people for the gestures and concerns he showed toward Cuban problems, he said, referring to Pope Francis.
The president requested that his cordial greetings be extended to Pope Leo XIV and that he be invited to visit Cuba, the official statement states.
It would be a pleasure to welcome you, and you will be treated accordingly for your leadership of the Catholic Church, he said.
The notification reveals that the Cuban president emphasized that relations between the Holy See and Cuba have developed based on respect, with a high level of political dialogue, systematic communication, and “have been able to overcome obstacles over time.”
We once again express our willingness to continue strengthening this constructive dialogue, he stated.
We continue to be committed to continuing to respect and improve religious freedom in Cuba, as proclaimed in our Constitution, and based on the achievements we have made in relations with different churches, he declared.
He reiterated his rejection of the United States’ hostility toward Cuba and “its view of our country regarding religion.” Once again, he said, we want to thank the Holy See for the support it has given the Cuban people in the fight against the blockade, issues that are permanently at the heart of our relations and the consolidation of dialogue.
“For his part, Monsignor Gallagher, after recalling Pope Francis’ historic visit ten years ago, expressed the deep affection the pontiff had for Cuba, its people, and also for Fidel and Raúl,” the statement said.
“We are happy to celebrate this commemoration of 90 years of diplomatic relations, which for us is important in the history of the Catholic Church,” he stated.
He also “conveyed greetings to President Díaz-Canel on behalf of the Holy See and Pope Leo XIV.”
With this ongoing dialogue taking place at this time, we are committed, together with the Cuban Episcopal Conference, to working to more clearly define relations and promote cooperation between the Catholic Church in Cuba for the good of the entire Cuban population, he noted.
At the end of the meeting, Díaz-Canel and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher led the central event commemorating the 90th anniversary of relations between Cuba and the Holy See at the Palace of the Revolution.
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