For whom is recognized by his missionary work, it was not a surprise that the fundamental motive of our meet was the awaited visit of Pope Francis to Cuba.

How has your congragation been prepared for the reception for the Supreme Pontiff?

Since the beginning there was a big happiness when we receive the news, a big lamentation also because he will not visit Camagüey but in the end the Pope comes for all the Cuban, so there is a big pleasure. There is always a spiritual preparation because for us he is the successor of Peter, Peter is an apostle who had the biggest amount of responsibilities, given by Jesus Christ, he comes like universal representation of the church, comes to confirm us in the faith, like missionary of the compassion. In this sense the church in its catechism has what we call works of compassion, seven corporal ones and seven spiritual ones and we are reflecting and working on that from Biblical texts and in the logistic preparation we have received the support of the authorities of the territory.

“We will go to the mass in Holguín, on September 21st, about 1870 Camagüeyans and everything is already prepared for the achievement of a long trip, it is necessary to do it at dawn and to be under the sun, in a square that seems very warm, we hope that there should be clouds, but that does not depend on us; but the most important thing is that there is a big happiness because he comes to encourage us in our way of hope and love and of service the neighbor”.

You, first from the position of auxiliary bishop up to today as archbishop has been involved in the arrangements of all the papal visits to the nation. How has turned out to be this experience?

With St John Paul II, who was in Camagüey, we had almost a year of preparation, and that was very important. Benedict XVI came when there were 400 years of the find of the Virgen de la Caridad.

“Something singular is that when St John Paul II, the Camagüeyans were singing ‘the pope remains in Camagüey’, with Benedict they sang to him ¨although the pope does not come to Camagüey we will go where he is¨, I do not know if there will be anyone new for Francisc, but there are good memories”.

St John Paul II pointed out that it was necessary that Cuba was opened for the world and that the world was opened to Cuba. Only 17 years after this there are already three popes who have visited the island. On the subject of religion, in your opinion, how have been this almost 20 years.

We have improved very much as for the Churches and States. Nine years ago the Cuban bishops had a meet with Fidel and he showed a high evaluation of the religion and I said to him that this evaluation was not yet widespread and he recognized it. Today, I believe that we have progressed very much, the relation is cozier and of understanding with our mission, and we still have a long way, the life is like that, we advance by means of the dialogue and the coexistence, without matter if we believe or not.

For this missionary who also is an archbishop it is a happiness that the persons approach the church “they do it for a beautiful feeling, but the religion is not just feeling it is knowledge, is life, charity, and then this is also a growth in the person, in the family, and in the end in the whole society”.

Translated by BA in English Language, Manuel Barrera Téllez

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