VATICAN-The Pope in Cuba: " It is greatly to be hoped that the moment will soon arrive when, here too, the Church can bring to the fields of knowledge the benefits of the mission that the Lord entrusted to her"

La Habana (Agenzia Fides) - "The Church lives to make others sharers in the one thing she possesses, which is none other than Christ, our hope of glory. To carry out this duty, she must count on basic religious freedom, which consists in her being able to proclaim and to celebrate her faith also in public. bringing to others the message of love, reconciliation and peace which Jesus brought to the world". This was stated by Holy Father Benedict XVI in his homily at the Mass he presided in the Plaza de la Revolución "José Martí" in Havana, concelebrated with the Bishops of Cuba, at 9 am local time on Wednesday, March 28.
Recognizing the progress made in Cuba to enable the Church to carry out "her essential mission of expressing her faith openly and publicly", Benedict XVI encouraged the Government authorities "to strengthen what has already been achieved and advance along this path of genuine service to the true good of Cuban society as a whole". The Pope continued: "The right to freedom of religion, both in its private and in its public dimension, manifests the unity of the human person, who is at once a citizen and a believer. It also legitimizes the fact that believers have a contribution to make to building up of society. Strengthening religious freedom consolidates social bonds, nourishes the hope of a better world, creates favourable conditions for peace and harmonious development, while at the same time establishing solid foundations for securing the rights of future generations".
Benedict XVI then remarked: "When the Church upholds this human right, she is not claiming any special privileges for herself. She wishes only to be faithful to command of her divine Founder, conscious that, where Christ is present, we become more human and our humanity becomes authentic.This is why the Church seeks to give witness by her preaching and teaching, both in catechesis and in the schools and universities. It is greatly to be hoped that the moment will soon arrive when, here too, the Church can bring to the fields of knowledge the benefits of the mission that the Lord entrusted to her and which she can never neglect". (SL) (Agenzia Fides 29/3/2012)