Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has issued a powerful call for political, economic, and international decisions regarding Cuba to prioritize the well-being of the Cuban people over geopolitical interests. Speaking during a Mass for Peace and Social Development in Cuba, held at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Rome on May 15, the cardinal urged leaders to act with wisdom and prudence, ensuring that every decision serves the common good. The event was organized by the Cuban Embassy to the Holy See.
“Let us pray that the beloved land of Cuba may experience days of greater serenity, of authentic human and social development, of harmony, and of hope. Let us pray that every political, economic, and international decision be illuminated by wisdom, prudence, and a sincere pursuit of the well-being of the people,” Czerny said.
This appeal comes amid ongoing talks between the Cuban and U.S. governments, with Washington pressing for fundamental changes on the island. In his homily, the cardinal warned against “any logic of permanent confrontation,” which he said “runs the risk of compounding the burden that already weighs upon ordinary people, especially the poorest, the elderly, the sick, and children.” He stressed that humanitarian aid must reach those in need “in sufficient quantity and without obstacles, never being instrumentalized for political or geopolitical ends.”
Cardinal Czerny’s remarks follow a U.S. offer to send $100 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba, to be distributed by the Catholic Church without government intermediation. This proposed aid would follow two earlier shipments totaling $3 million and $6 million for victims of Hurricane Melissa, distributed through Caritas Cuba. Other nations, including Mexico, Brazil, and Spain, have also sent aid, though the extent of Cuban government involvement in distribution remains unclear.
The Person at the Center
The cardinal emphasized that the Church’s social doctrine teaches “authentic peace is founded on moral and spiritual pillars even before political or economic ones.” He recalled the visits of St. John Paul II in 1998 and Pope Francis in 2015. John Paul II’s call for “the world to open itself to Cuba, and for Cuba to open itself to the world” was not a political slogan but a spiritual invitation for encounter without fear. Francis, Czerny noted, urged Cubans to “place the concrete individual at the center of social and political life,” because service is “never ideological” but stems from genuine care for one’s neighbor.
Czerny affirmed that Jesus’s promise that “sadness will turn into joy” is grounded in “the Christian certainty that God continues to act within human history, even when darkness and bewilderment prevail.” He invited the faithful to ask the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, patroness of Cuba, to guide the nation toward peace and fraternity.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa and adapted by EWTN News.
