The first national meeting of the Pastoral of the Family was held recently in Havana. The event, which was promoted by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, reflected on the theme: “The Family: Path of Hope for Cuba.”
Bishop Arturo Gonzalez of Santa Clara, presided over the meeting which was held in the “San Juan Maria Vianney” priests residence. According to a communique released by the Holy See regarding the meeting, the event was His Excellency Luis del Castillo, Bishop Emeritus of Melo, Uruguay who has worked with the Church in Cuba “for many years.”
“In his opening speech, Bishop Gonzalez recalled the words of Blessed John Paul II during his visit to the island: ‘Cuba: care for your families, in order to keep your heart pure!’ and thanked the families participating in the meeting, emphasizing that in spite of current difficulties, the family remains a source of great hope for the future,” the communique stated.
The Pastoral of the Family meeting reflected on several aspects of the main theme including marriage and family in Cuba, the education of children, the breakdown of the family and domestic violences.
The Commission for the Family, which worked alongside Fr. Jorge Cela, president of the Conference of Latin American Provincials conducted a survey of the population prior to the meeting in order “to investigate the current situation of families in Cuba.”
