Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Havana (Agenzia Fides) - Last week some 103 Spanish priests working as missionaries in 20 different countries in Latin America gathered at the Casa San Juan María Vianney de Havana, for Meeting of OCSHA (Hispanic-American priestly cooperation). Many have been on mission in this continent for more than fifty years. The meeting was opened by Bishop Ramón del Hoyo, head of the Spanish Bishops' Commission for Missions and Cooperation among Churches who was accompanied by the secretary of the commission Rev Anastasio Gil and by Juan Robles director of the Spanish NGO Misión America.
Also present for the opening of the meeting, Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of Havana who welcomed the participants and recalled with gratitude the first Spanish missionaries to Cuba. The local Church grew and today has 11 very active dioceses despite the fact that many Cubans have emigrated.
The first conference was given by Mgr. José Félix Pérez Riera, secretary adjunct of the Cuban Bishops' Conference on the theme The Church in Cuba from the 1950s to today. He mentioned the national Revolution in 1959 and the relative Marxist-Leninist Declaration of 1961, when 161 priests were expelled and the Church was forced to go underground. However the Cuban Church survived with prudence and tenacity. “From the 1980s onwards pastoral plans were drafted and put into practice by priests and religious men and women who had come as missionaries from other countries”. This was the case of 20 Spanish diocesan priests at present part of the ordinary pastoral service of the Catholic Church in Cuba.
Mgr Pérez Riera, said the visit to Cuba by the Servant of God John Paul II in 1989 was “impulse for growth with an increase in the following years of priests, religious and committed laity in processes of formation”. Catholics were not allowed to build churches so communities gathered in private homes, “where there was a triple ecclesial activity: the celebration of the faith, the formation of the faithful and sharing of resources among the needy”. Mgr Pérez Riera also mentioned that the Holy See secretary of state Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone will be in Cuba in February to commemorate ten years since the historic visit of John Paul II to the island.
The second report on the situation of the Church in Spain was given by Mgr Ramón del Hoyo, who offered a vision of the principal ecclesial facts of pastoral activity in Spain. He also mentioned weakening of the faith in some sectors of society and a scarcity of missionary vocations. He also spoke of the great interest aroused by the massive Family Meeting in Madrid on 20 December.
During the meeting the missionaries formed discussion groups according to the countries in which they are serving to share experience and information on the local religious situations. The contents of the discussion groups will serve as a basis for guidelines for missionary work promoted by OCSHA. The meeting closed with a special Concelebration of the Eucharist presided by Cardinal Jaime Ortega. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2008; righe 41, parole 560)
