Pope urges Cubans to continue pastoral work with `fervor'

The Miami Herald January 24, 1999 Pope urges Cubans to continue pastoral work with `fervor'

From Herald Wire Services

             Havana -- Pope John Paul II, who made a historic trip to Cuba a year ago, has
             sent a message to the island's Roman Catholics encouraging them to continue
             pastoral work to help build a society in which human rights and social justice are
             combined to the detriment of no one.

             The Cuban church should ``profess the faith in public places, be personally and
             socially charitable, educate people about freedom . . . and encourage initiatives
             that can lead to a new society,'' the Pope said in Friday's message marking the first
             anniversary of his visit.

The new society would be one where ``the fundamental rights of every person and
social justice will be equal, each without detriment to the other,'' he said.

``Do not fear the risks that could accompany the choice of following the Lord with
renewed fervor and daring,'' he added.

             The Pope recalled highlights of last year's visit to Cuba, Jan. 21-25, especially his
             Mass in the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, where he said that ``the spirit blows
             wherever it wants, and it wants to blow in Cuba.''

In the wake of the Pope's visit, the Communist government reinstated Christmas as
a state holiday. Christmas had not been recognized officially in Cuba since 1969.

The government also allowed several dozen priests and members of religious
orders to travel to Cuba and join the work of the church.

Since John Paul's visit, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega has been able to broadcast
two messages by radio, something unheard of in previous decades.

Ortega said official relations between the Catholic Church and Cuba ``have begun
to be formally better since the Pope's visit.''