Amid the intensifying crisis gripping the island, Bishop Arturo González Amador of Santa Clara delivered a strikingly candid message from the altar of the Cathedral of Santa Clara de Asís.
"Cuba must change; the way we're living is not humane," he declared, as reported in a social media post.
These words were spoken on February 15 during the celebration of the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, at a well-attended Mass that also became a forum for reflecting on the national crisis.
The homily, initially focused on the day's Gospel, turned into a direct appeal not to overlook the suffering of the Cuban people.
From Scripture to National Suffering
During his discourse on the Sermon on the Mount, Bishop González explained that Jesus calls us to look beyond outward actions and examine the heart.
"The Lord speaks to us from visible actions, what can be perceived outwardly, to a morality of the heart, of the interior," he stated.
He emphasized that social ills do not begin with visible acts but rather from an internal source.
"Jesus goes beyond the external act, questioning where feelings of hatred and acts of violence originate—they are born in the heart," he said.
Addressing Cuba's Crisis Directly
It was at the conclusion of the Eucharist that the bishop directly addressed Cuba's crisis and the decision by the Episcopal Conference to postpone the ad limina visit to the Vatican.
"We must be challenged by the suffering of these people," the bishop reminded, referring to a message from the Cuban Episcopate during the last Jubilee. He warned that the situation has not only remained dire but has worsened.
"The situation hasn't just stayed grave and difficult since our last message; it has deteriorated," he emphasized.
The bishop reiterated the need for "sincere and effective dialogue" and called for concrete actions.
"We must sit down, talk, listen, and upon witnessing our brothers' suffering, take real steps for the common good. We must be moved by this people's suffering and act," he asserted.
According to the Press Office of the Santa Clara Diocese, when asked by a journalist about his message to the world regarding Cuba, Bishop González replied, "I say something simple: do not forget Cuba, look at the reality, the pain of this people."
Postponement of the Vatican Visit
Bishop González clarified that the trip to Rome was not canceled but postponed.
The visit was initially scheduled for February 16-20, though it was originally slated for 2027 and had been moved up by Pope Leo XIV to February 2026 as a "gesture of closeness."
"You probably heard that the bishops suspended the visit to the Holy Father. It wasn't suspended; it was postponed," he explained.
The immediate trigger was logistical issues related to fuel for flights, but the underlying reason was the national crisis's severity.
"It's very concerning if all the bishops left Cuba and an urgent or painful situation arose," he noted.
The bishop posed a question that set the pastoral tone of the decision: "Where should parents be? Where are they in difficult times? Beside their children. We must be with our people."
For the prelate, leaving the country in the current context would have been inconsistent with their pastoral mission of accompaniment.
Global Echoes and Sharper Critiques
The bishop's remarks were even picked up by the Catholic News Agency (ACI Prensa), based in the United States, under the headline: "Cuban Bishop: Our Living Conditions 'Not Humane,' Country 'Must Change.'"
Meanwhile, other voices within the Cuban Church have adopted an even more direct tone for some time.
Father Alberto Reyes of the Archdiocese of Camagüey has been a staunch critic of the Cuban government on social media. Reyes stated on Facebook that "the Cuban model has been a failure."
Addressing sectors of the Latin American and European left, he wrote: "While you refuse to acknowledge it and keep telling a dead man: 'Come on, you can go on,' my people suffer, my people endure, my people are dying."
Reyes compared the national situation to "a life akin to nations at war," where people have no control over their present or future, and urged that if the failure is not recognized, at least "keep silent, learn to be quiet, which can also be a dignified option."
The priest concluded with an Oscar Wilde quote that captures the mood of many Cubans: "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
The decision to delay the Vatican visit, beyond its logistical aspect, has been framed by the bishops as an act of solidarity amid the economic and social crisis battering the country.
In a Cuba plagued by blackouts, shortages, mass exoduses, and growing despair, the bishop's statement encapsulates the sentiment of many citizens: "The way we're living is not humane."
Understanding the Cuban Crisis and the Church's Role
What did Bishop Arturo González Amador emphasize in his message?
Bishop González emphasized the need for change in Cuba, stating that the current living conditions are inhumane. He also stressed the importance of sincere and effective dialogue and the necessity of taking real steps for the common good.
Why was the visit to the Vatican postponed?
The visit was postponed due to logistical issues related to fuel for flights and the severity of Cuba's national crisis, which required the bishops to remain in the country during this difficult time.