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Subject: RHC-Pope's Speech on Arrival in Havana, Jan 21 98
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RHC-Pope's Speech on Arrival in Havana, Jan 21 98


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                  SPECIAL REPORT FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA
                            January 21, 1998

                        E-mail: rhc-AT-radiohc.org
                        http://www.radiohc.org


Radio Havana Cuba's brings you the text of the address delivered by His
Holiness John Paul II upon his arrival in Cuba on his pastoral visit, at
Havana's "Jose Marti" International Airport, January 21, 1998. 


President, Mr. Cardinal, and brother bishops, distinguished
authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, dear brothers
and sisters of Cuba,

I thank God, the Lord of History and of our personal
destinies for having allowed me to come to this land, which
Christopher Columbus called the most beautiful land that
human eyes have beheld. Arriving on this land where the
cross of Christ was raised over 500 years ago, the same
cross jealously treasured today in the parish church of
Baracoa, on the eastermost part of the country. I greet
everyone, with warm affection.

The happy, long awaited day has finally arrived when I am
able to honor the invitation that the bishops of Cuba
extended me a rather long time ago, an invitation that the
President of the Republic also extended to me, and which he
personally reiterated at the  Vatican on the occasion of his
visit there in 1996. I am filled with happiness to be able
to visit your country, be among you, and sharing these days
of faith, hope, and love.

I am pleased to address my greetings, in the first place, to
President Dr Fidel Castro Ruz, who has kindly come here to
meet me and to whom I wish to express my thanks for his
words of welcome. I likewise express my thanks to the other
authorities present, to the diplomatic corps, and to all who
have had a part in preparing this pastoral visit. 

I cordially greet my brothers in the episcopate, in
particular Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop
of Havana, and each of the other Cuban bishops as well as
those who have come from other countries to take part in the
events of this pastoral visit and to renew and strengthen,
as on many other occasions, the close bonds of communion and
love between their particular churches and the church in
Cuba. 

In this greeting, my heart goes out with great affection
also to the beloved priests, deacons, the religious,
catechists, faithful men and women, who venerate the Lord as
shepherd of the Universal Church. In each of them I see the
reflection of this local Church, really loved and always
present in my heart, with whose aspirations and legitimate
desires I feel closely bound in solidarity. 

God grant that this visit that begins today may serve as an
encouragement to each one in the task of making these
expectations a reality, with the partnership of all Cubans
and the help of the Holly Spirit. You are and must be the
protagonists of your own personal and national history. 

At the same time, I cordially greet the entire Cuban people
and I address everyone without exception, men and women,
young and old, adolescents and children, all those I will
meet, and those who for various reasons will not be able to
take part in the different celebrations. 

On this apostolic journey, I came in the name of the Lord to
confirm you in your faith, to strengthen you in hope, and to
encourage you in love. I come to share your profound
religious spirit, your endeavors, joys and sufferings, and
to celebrate as one big family the mystery of divine love in
order to make it more deeply present in the life and history
of this noble people in its thirst for God and for spiritual
values that in these five hundred years of presence on the
island the church has not ceased to dispense.

I come as a pilgrim of love, of truth and of hope, with the
desire to give a fresh impulse to the work of evangelization
which,  in the midst of difficulties this local church 
continues to sustain with apostolic vitality and dynamism on
its way to the Third Christian Millennium.

In fulfilling my ministry, I have not ceased to proclaim the
truth concerning Jesus Christ the one who has revealed the
truth about man, his mission in the world, the greatness of
his destiny and his inviolable dignity.  In this respect,
the service of man is the path of the church. I am here
today to share with you my profound conviction that the
message of the gospel  leads to love commitment, self-
sacrifice and forgiveness, so that a people who follow this
path, is a people with hope for a better future.  
Therefore, from the very first moment of my presence among
you I wish to say with the same force as at the beginning of
my pontificate, "do not be afraid to open your hearts to
Christ". Allow him to come into your lives, into your
families, into society.  This way, all things will be made
new.  The Church repeats this appeal calling everyone
together without exceptions, individuals, families, peoples,
so that by faithfully following Jesus Christ all may find
the full meaning of their live committing themselves to
serving their neighbor, transform the bonds of family, work
and friendship, This will always benefit the nation and
society.   

The Church in Cuba has always proclaimed Jesus Christ even
if at times, there has been a scarcity of priests, and has
had to do so in difficult circumstances.  I wish to express
my admiration for so many of the Cuban faithful, for their
fidelity to Christ,to the Church and to the Pope and always
for their respect they have shown to most genuine religious
tradition learned from their elders and for the courage and
perserverence and spirit of commitment demonstrated in the
midst of their suffering and ardent hopes.  All this has
been rewarded on many occasions by the solidarity shown by
other ecclesiastic communities in America and throughout the
world.  Today, as always, the Church in Cuba wishes to be in
a position to continue serving all the people in accordance
with the mission and teachings of Jesus Christ.  

Dear Sons and Daughters of the Cuban Catholic Church, I well
know how much you have looked forward to the moment of my
visit. I know how much I have desired it. therefore, my best
wishes are joined with the prayer that this land may offer
to everyone a climate of freedom,mutual trust, social
justice and lasting peace.  

May Cuba with all its magnificent potential open itself up
to the world and may the world open itself up to Cuba so
that this people which is looking for the truth which is
working to progress and which longs for comfort and peace
may look to the future with hope

With confidence in the Lord, and feeling very close to the
beloved sons and daughters of Cuba, I thank you with all my
heart for this warm welcome  which my pastoral visit is
beginning. I commend this visit to the maternal protection
of the blessed virgin of Charity of El Cobre. 

I cordially bless you all, specially the poor, the sick, the
marginalized and all those suffering in body  or spirit.

Praised be Jesus Christ   


           [c] 1998, Radio Habana Cuba
               All rights reserved

Articles  cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in
any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition
includes the  distribution of this material via Usenet News,
"bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio
and television. 

For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other
features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We
welcome your comments and suggestions.

For further information, contact us at:

Postal Address:  Radio Havana Cuba
                 P.O.Box 6240
                 Havana, Cuba
     Telephone:  (53) (7) 791053
           Fax:  (53) (7) 795007
        E-mail:  rhc-AT-radiohc.org
           WWW:  http://www.radiohc.org

 
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