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.c The Associated Press
The text of Pope John Paul II's statement on arrival in Cuba on
Wednesday, as distributed by the Vatican:
I thank God,
the Lord of history and of our personal destinies, that he has enabled me to
come to this land which Christopher Columbus called "the most beautiful
that human eyes have seen.'' Arriving on this island, where the cross of Christ
was raised over 500 years ago - the same cross zealously treasured today in the
parish church of Baracoa, in the extreme eastern part of the country - I greet
everyone with warm affection.
I am pleased to address my greetings in the first place to the president,
Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, who has kindly come here to meet me and to whom I wish to
express my thanks for his words of welcome. I likewise express my thanks to the
other authorities present, to the diplomatic corps and to all who have had a
part in preparing this pastoral visit.
I cordially greet my brothers in the episcopate; in particular Cardinal
Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana, and each of the other Cuban
bishops, as well as those who have come from other countries to take part in the
events of this pastoral visit and to renew and strengthen, as on so many other
occasions, the close bonds of communion and love between their particular
churches and the church in Cuba. In this greeting, my heart goes out with great
affection also to the beloved priests, deacons, men and women religious,
catechists and faithful, to whom I belong in the Lord as shepherd of the
universal church. In each one of them I see the reflection of this local church,
dearly loved and always present in my heart, with whose aspirations and
legitimate desires I feel closely bound in solidarity. God grant that this visit
which begins today may serve as an encouragement to each one in the task of
making these expectations a reality, with the partnership of all Cubans and the
help of the Holy Spirit. You are and must be the principle agents of your own
personal and national history.
At the same time I cordially greet the entire Cuban people, and I address
everyone without exception: men and women, old and young, adolescents and
children; all those I meet and those who for various reasons will not be able to
take part in the different celebrations.
On this apostolic journey I come in the name of the Lord to confirm you in
faith, to strengthen you in hope and to encourage you in love. I come to share
your profound religious spirit, your endeavors, joys and sufferings, and to
celebrate, as one big family, the mystery of divine love in order to make it
more deeply present in the life and history of this noble people who thirst for
God and for the spiritual values which in these 500 years of her presence on
this island the church has not ceased to dispense. I come as a pilgrim of love,
of truth and of hope, with the desire to give a fresh impulse to the work of
evangelization which, in the midst of difficulties, this local church continues
to sustain with apostolic vitality and dynamism, on her way to the third
Christian millennium.
In fulfilling my ministry I have not ceased to proclaim the truth concerning
Jesus Christ, the one who has revealed the truth about man, his missing in the
world, the greatness of his destiny and his inviolable dignity. In this respect,
the service of man is the path of the church. I am here today to share with you
my profound conviction that the message of the Gospel leads to love, commitment,
self sacrifice and forgiveness; a people that follows this path is a people with
the hope for a better future. Therefore, from the very first moment of my
presence among you, I wish to say with the same force as at the beginning of my
pontificate: "Do not be afraid to open your hearts to Christ.'' Allow him
to come into your lives, into your families, into society. In this way all
things will be made new. The church repeats this appeal, calling everyone
together without exceptions - individuals, families, peoples - so that by
faithfully following Jesus Christ all may find the full meaning of their lives,
commit themselves to serving their neighbor and to transform the bonds of
family, work and friendship. This will always redound to the benefit of the
nation and of society.
The church in Cuba has always proclaimed Jesus Christ, even if at times she
has had a scarcity of priests and has had to do so in difficult circumstances. I
wish to express my admiration for so many of the Cuban faithful for their
fidelity to Christ, to the church and to the pope, as also for the respect they
have shown for the more genuine religious traditions learned from their elders,
and for the courage and persevering spirit of commitment demonstrated in the
midst of their sufferings and ardent hopes. All this has been rewarded on many
occasions by the solidarity shown by other ecclesiastical communities in America
and throughout the world. Today as ever, the church in Cuba wishes to be in a
position to continue serving all people in accordance with the mission and the
teachings of Jesus Christ.
Dear sons and daughters of the Catholic Church in Cuba I well know how much
you have looked forward to the moment of my visit, and you know how much I have
desired it. Therefore my best wishes are joined with the prayer that this land
may offer to everyone a climate of freedom, mutual trust, social justice and
lasting peace. May Cuba with all its magnificent potential, open itself up to
the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba, that that this people,
which is working to make progress and which longs for concord and peace may look
to the future with hope.
With confidence in the Lord and feeling very close to the beloved sons and
daughter of Cuba, I thank you with all my heart for this warm welcome with which
my pastoral visit is beginning. I commend this visit to the maternal protection
of the blessed Virgin of Charity of El Cobre. I cordially bless you all,
especially the poor, the sick, the neglected and all those suffering in body or
spirit.
Praised be Jesus Christ!
AP-NY-01-21-98 1726EST |