The Vatican secretary of state pointed to recent contacts with Cuban and U.S. officials as the Holy See seeks a dialogue-based solution on the island.<\/p>\n
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See is promoting dialogue on Cuba and has taken \u201cthe necessary steps\u201d with the aim of encouraging a negotiated solution to the problems facing the island.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Cuba as well, we have done what we had to do, we met with the foreign minister and we took the necessary steps, always with a view to a dialogue-based solution to the problems that exist,\u201d Parolin said in comments to several media outlets, including the Holy See\u2019s official news outlet, Vatican News.<\/p>\n
The cardinal made the remarks March 9 in Rome on the sidelines of the second edition of the interreligious initiative \u201cIl Tavolo del Ramadan\u2013Iftar,\u201d dedicated to encounters among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim representatives.<\/p>\n
Parolin\u2019s comments come amid intensified diplomatic contacts involving Cuba. On Feb. 28, Pope Leo XIV received Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez Parrilla in audience at the Vatican. Rodr\u00edguez attended as special envoy of Cuban President Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel Berm\u00fadez.<\/p>\n
After the meeting, the Cuban foreign minister publicly thanked the pontiff on X, writing: \u201cI deeply thank His Holiness Leo XIV for the honor of receiving me in audience as Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Cuba.\u201d<\/p>\n
The visit by Cuba\u2019s top diplomat came days after another significant meeting in Rome on the situation in Cuba. On Feb. 20, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican\u2019s secretary for relations with states, to discuss conditions in the Caribbean nation and the \u201cimportant role\u201d played by the Catholic Church in Cuban society.<\/p>\n
In comments to EWTN after that meeting, Hammer said Cuba is at a decisive moment and expressed hope that the country will soon attain \u201cthe freedom it has not had in 67 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is freedom, there will not be suffering because there will be the necessary change. How will it happen? Well, that is what we are working on,\u201d the U.S. diplomat said in an interview with EWTN.<\/p>\n
Eight days after that meeting, Rodr\u00edguez Parrilla traveled to the Vatican, where he met with both Leo XIV and Parolin.<\/p>\n
Also on March 2, a group of Cubans in exile in Miami led by Rosa Mar\u00eda Pay\u00e1 \u2014 founder of Cuba Decide and daughter of the late dissident leader Oswaldo Pay\u00e1 \u2014 signed what they call a Liberation Agreement for Cuba, a 10-step roadmap to restore \u201cdemocracy and the rule of law\u201d on the island.<\/p>\n
The Holy See has repeatedly played a mediating role between Cuba and the United States. The most recent example came during the administration of President Joe Biden, when the Vatican helped facilitate efforts that led to the release of 553 prisoners in Cuba in exchange for the removal of Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.<\/p>\n
Parolin also addressed the growing military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has spread to other countries in the Middle East. He said the Holy See continues to keep channels of communication open with all parties in an effort to prevent a broader conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is necessary to have open dialogue with everyone so that this immense tragedy now unfolding does not continue to expand instead of being contained,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The secretary of state said one of the defining characteristics of Vatican diplomacy is its willingness to remain in contact with all sides involved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Holy See speaks with everyone and, when necessary, also speaks with the Americans and the Israelis, presenting what, in our view, could be solutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Parolin also referred to the killing of Maronite Father Pierre El-Rahi, pastor of Qlaya\u2019a in Lebanon. The priest died after going to help a parishioner and was later struck by a bombardment.<\/p>\n
Leo XIV expressed his \u201cdeep sorrow\u201d that same day over the priest\u2019s death and for all the victims of the recent bombings in the Middle East, including many civilians and children, according to the Vatican press office\u2019s Telegram channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, the Church too is a victim of this situation; we are not exempt or immune from what the population is suffering,\u201d Parolin said.<\/p>\n
The cardinal also warned of the risk that the Christian presence in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East could continue to decline because of war, instability, and growing hatred.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a risk the Holy See has always denounced. War, destabilization, and conflict certainly do not favor the presence of Christians,\u201d he said, underscoring that the situation is an additional cause of concern for the Vatican.<\/p>\n
This story\u00a0was first published\u00a0by ACI Prensa, CNA\u2019s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.<\/p>\n