In midst of island’s travails, Cuba’s bishops elect new leadership

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 12, 2024 / 18:00 pm

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (COCC, by its Spanish acronym) met in Havana from Nov. 4–7 for its 164th Ordinary Assembly and chose new leaders for the next three-year period from 2024 to 2027.

Bishop Arturo González Amador of Santa Clara was elected president; Bishop Juan Gabriel Díaz Ruiz of Matanzas was elected vice president; and Bishop Eloy Ricardo Domínguez Martínez, auxiliary bishop of Havana, was chosen as secretary-general.

The meeting took place weeks after hurricanes Oscar and Rafael lashed the island, leaving extensive damage and six people dead in its wake, according to the Cuban government. 

The island has been caught in a spiral of hunger, blackouts, and political repression after the calamities, exacerbated by the deplorable state of public services in the country after 65 years of communism.

The bishops reflected on the aftermath of these events, noting the generally “bleak outlook” but also highlighting “the testimonies of charity, help, and solidarity that are also palpable.”

During the meeting, “there has been constant prayer for the Cuban people and their growing needs these days,” they indicated.

“While the assembly was taking place, we received news of the impact, the landslides and destruction that Hurricane Rafael was leaving in the areas through which it passed,” the prelates said.

The bishops extolled the aid work of Caritas “to achieve a more effective recovery” in the most affected regions.

Turning to other issues, the plenary assembly of bishops approved a new version of the “Manual of Procedures for the Prevention of Abuse of Minors and Vulnerable Adults” in response to the recommendations and modifications of the latest documents issued by the Holy See on the subject.

Planning for Jubilee Year 2025 

The Cuban bishops also addressed various “ideas and initiatives to be developed” with a view to the Jubilee Year 2025 called by Pope Francis.

According to the COCC’s official website, during the meeting the prelates saw the need to “foster and give special attention to the celebrations that will take place in the local Churches, underlining the fundamental dimensions of the jubilee: conversion, penance and sacramental confession, works of mercy, pilgrimages to the shrines, the gift of indulgences, and the strong call to revitalize hope.”

Also during the assembly, the bishops met with a delegation from the Catholic Church in Poland, headed by the bishop of Kielce, Jan Piotrowsk, who visited the country at the invitation of the COCC.

According to the island’s bishops, this was an opportunity to thank the Polish Church for the work of its missionaries in the Caribbean country.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.