Havana (Fides Service) - “Let us make the pilgrim Church in Cuba a missionary church” said Bishop Juan García Rodríguez chairman of the Cuban Bishops’ Commission for Mission during the 1st National Mission Meeting held in Havana 24 to 28 May (see Fides 20/5/2005). In a report to Fides Fr. Raúl Rodríguez Dago, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Cuba said participants included 141 delegates from the 11 dioceses in Cuba: 6 priests, 13 Sisters, 1 Brother, 11 permanent deacons and 110 lay people as well as 23 seminarians “welcomed with joy as the priests of tomorrow”. Among the special guests Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of Havana and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Cuba; Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, papal nuncio; Archbishop Juan García Rodríguez of Camaguey; Bishop Emilio Aranguren Echeverría of Cienfuegos Conference Secretary; Bishop José Siro of Pinar del Río.
Pope Benedict XVI in a message for the meeting read out by the papal Nuncio said he hoped “the meeting would give new impulse to the tireless missionary efforts of the Church in Cuba to meet the challenges of the day and thank God for the past and present life of the beloved Church in Cuba."
Resolutions reached by the participants included the decision to endorse the commitment taken by the National Meeting of the Catholic Church in Cuba 1986, to "be" a missionary Church with five goals: make mission central to pastoral work; promote vigorous and incarnated missionary spirituality among all the members of the Church; give priority to integral missionary formation; accompany and encourage Missionary Institutes; proclaim the Gospel everywhere; found Missionary Youth groups all over the Island. On May 27 the participants went into the streets to share with everyone the joy of faith in Christ. The meeting closed on 28 May with a Mass in Havana Cathedral presided by Cardinal Jaime Ortega. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 30/5/2005 righe 28, parole 373)