On Wednesday, after the announcement that the United States and Cuba would be pursuing reconciliation, Cuba’s episcopal conference published a statement thanking God “on the eve of Christmas” for the “new horizons of hope that are opening.”
They thanked the Holy Father for his mediation to achieve this “desire that has become a reality.”
“We have heard the important statements made by the President of Cuba, Raul Castro, and the President of the United States, Barack Obama, which mark a new stage in the relation between our two countries,” said the bishops.
“We thank the Lord, now on the eve of Christmas, that new horizons of hope are illumining the life of the Cuban people, as the relaxation and good relations between peoples that are so close are the foundation of a promising future,” they added.
The bishops said they wished to thank the Holy Father for his mediation: “We express special gratitude to Pope Francis, whom both Statesmen recognized as an important mediator of a desire that now has become a reality.”
The bishops concluded hoping that “the will manifested by the Presidents contributes to the material and spiritual wellbeing of our people. We highly appreciate the reunion of three liberated Cubans with their homeland and their families, as well as the humanitarian gesture to the North American prisoner who has been able to be reunited with his own.”
