Navarro said that “the people of Cuba are going hungry and are in great need. It’s very sad to see how old people are selling their belongings in the streets to get the minimum to be able to buy something to eat. Or to see the long lines at the shops.”
“Apart from the economic misery, we are experiencing the misery of fear, of emigration, of the lack of values. Another urgent issue is the lack of medications; you can’t get acetaminophen or ibuprofen, of course not antibiotics,” he added.
Given the situation, he explained that the work of the Catholic Church is “to accompany the suffering of the people. As Moses did with the people of Israel, who brought the people out of slavery. There are many people, religious, priests, bishops, and committed laity who are accompanying those who are suffering the most, giving encouragement and hope in such a sad time,” he explained.
The priest said that “help is not only material, such as the mission of Caritas Cuba or institutions such as Aid to the Church in Need that are helping a lot, it is also necessary to accompany, to listen, to be by the side of the suffering and strengthen them materially and spiritually.”
Navarro said that “it is true that Christ is the only hope; he is ‘the hope that does not disappoint.’ But things are bad, that hope has been diminishing, especially among young people in dire straits [who] only see leaving the country as a solution.”
“But Jesus has words of hope; the Church with its social doctrine can lift the falling hope of Cubans,” he said.
The priest asked the faithful “to be the voice of those who have no voice, to make known what is happening in Cuba.”
“Prayer is also fundamental,” he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) Staff are a team of journalists dedicated to reporting news concerning the Catholic Church around the world. Our bureaus are located in Denver, Washington, and Rome. We have sister language agencies in Kenya, Germany, Peru, Brazil, and Italy. CNA is a service of EWTN News. You can contact us at news@catholicna.com with questions.