I appreciate, Mr. President, your welcome and your kind words with which
you have conveyed the feelings of respect of the Cuban government and
people toward Peter’s Successor. I greet the Authorities that accompany
us, as well as the members of the Diplomatic Corps present here. I warmly
greet the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba and President of the Episcopal
Conference, Monsignor Dionisio Guillermo Garcia Ibañez; the Archbishop of
Havana, Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino; and the other brothers Bishops of
Cuba, to whom I express my spiritual closeness. I express my heartfelt
affection for the faithful of the Catholic Church in Cuba, for the dear
inhabitants of this beautiful island and for all Cubans, wherever they
are. You are always present in my heart and prayers, especially in the
days that preceded the much anticipated moment of my visit to you, which I
have been able to carry out thanks to the divine goodness.

Being here among you, I can’t help to recall the historic visit to Cuba of
my Predecessor, the Blessed John Paul II, who left an indelible mark on
the soul of all Cubans. For many, believers and non-believers, his example
and his teachings are a luminous guide for their personal lives and their
public activity at the service of the common good of the nation. His visit
to this island was like a gentle breath of fresh air which gave new
strength to the Church in Cuba, awakening in many people a renovated
awareness of the importance of the Faith and encouraging them to open
their hearts to Christ, while, at the same time, it shed light upon hope
and boosted the desire to work courageously for a better future. One of
the important results of that visit was the inauguration of a new stage in
the relations between the Church and the Cuban State, with a new spirit of
greater cooperation and trust, although there are still aspects in which
we can and we should advance, particularly regarding the indispensable
public contribution that religion is called to make in the life of society.

I gladly share in your joy in celebrating the four hundredth anniversary
of the discovery of the blessed image of the Virgin of the Charity of El
Cobre. Her dear image has been, since the beginning, present in the
personal life of all Cubans and also in the great events of the country,
where she has been worshiped as the true mother of the Cuban people.
Devotion to the “Virgen Mambisa” has sustained many people in their faith
and inspired them to work for the promotion of all that gives dignity to
the human condition and its fundamental rights; and it continues to do so
today with more strength, thus bearing witness to the fruitfulness of
preaching the Gospel in these lands and to the deep Christian roots that
make up the identity of the Cuban soul. Following in the footsteps of
countless pilgrims throughout the centuries, I also want to go El Cobre to
kneel before the Mother of God and thank her for her concern for her Cuban
children and ask her to guide the future of this beloved nation in the
ways of justice, peace, freedom and reconciliation.

I come to Cuba as a pilgrim of charity, to confirm my brothers and sisters
in the faith and strengthen them in the hope which is born of the presence
of God’s love in our lives. I carry in my heart the just aspirations and
legitimate wishes of all Cubans, wherever they might be, their sufferings
and joys, their worries and noblest desires, and particularly that of
youths and the elderly, of adolescents and children, the sick and the
workers, the prisoners and their families, as well as the poor and the needy.

Many parts of the world are experiencing economic difficulties that many
regard as part of a profound spiritual and moral crisis, which have left
humanity lacking values and defenseless before the ambition and
selfishness of certain powers which take little account of the true good
of individuals and families. We can no longer continue in the same
cultural and moral direction which has caused the painful situation that
many suffer.

Real progress requires an ethics that focuses on human beings and takes
account of the most profound human needs, especially man’s spiritual and
religious. That’s why, in the heart and minds of many people, there’s
certainty that the rebirth of society demands upright men and women of
firm moral convictions and strong values that can resist manipulation and
that respond to the unchanging and transcendent nature of the human being.

Dear friends, I’m convinced that Cuba, at this moment of particular
importance in its history, is already looking at tomorrow and makes
efforts to renew and broaden its horizons, an endeavor in which it will be
assisted by that fine patrimony of spiritual and moral values which
fashioned the nation’s most genuine identity and which are present in the
work and life of many famous forefathers of the Homeland such as the
Blessed Jose Olallo, the Servant of God Felix Varela, and independence
hero Jose Marti. The Church, for its part, has diligently contributed to
the cultivation of these values through its generous and self-sacrificing
pastoral mission, and it remains committed to continue working without
rest to serve all Cubans better.

May the Lord abundantly bless this land and their children, particularly
those who feel disadvantaged, the marginalized and those suffering in body
or spirit, while, through the intercession of Our Lady of Charity of El
Cobre, grant us all a future full of hope, solidarity and harmony. Thank
you very much.