New York Cardinal hopes to build bridges with Cuba visit

Updated 6:49 am CST, Tuesday, February 11, 2020



Photo: Ramon Espinosa, AP
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A cat walks inside the Cathedral of Havana during a Mass officiated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020.

U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan said Monday he hopes that his visit to Cuba serves to build bridges between the peoples of the two countries amid tensions between their governments.

Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, was invited to the island by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. After visiting Cuba's central and eastern provinces over the weekend, he celebrated Mass in Havana's Cathedral on Monday.

“I hope (my visit) emphasizes that we're neighbors and maybe governments have tensions but people love one another,” he told The Associated Press. “I see the Cuban people love the American people and I know the American people consider the Cuban people to be neighbors. And they hope for bridges instead of walls. And they hope for reconciliation.”

Dolan was accompanied by Juan García, who was made a cardinal at the end of last year following the death of Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who was a key figure in the reestablishment of relations between the United States and Havana.

The United States has enforced a trade embargo against Cuba since the early 1960s. However, U.S. President Barack Obama started a more open relationship with the island in 2014, culminating with his historic visit in 2016.

More:
https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/New-York-Cardinal-hopes-to-build-bridges-with-15046132.php#photo-19013606