Vatican emissary, Cuba, welcome church-state dialogue

By Vincente Poveda Jun 16, 2010, 21:50 GMT

Havana - Top Cuban and Vatican officials on Wednesday welcomed the ongoing dialogue between the Catholic church and the communist government of Cuba.

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign minister, and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, spoke to reporters at the beginning of a five-day visit by Mamberti.

Talks over the past weeks between the Cuban Catholic church and President Raul Castro have led to the transfer of about a dozen political prisoners to jails nearer their homes.

The latest concession, on the eve of Mamberti's visit, was the release on Saturday of dissident Ariel Sigler, a 47-year-old paraplegic. Sigler was among 75 dissidents who were arrested in 2003 and have been behind bars since.

'It is important ... to see (that) the fruit of these talks is already visible, and I celebrate this fact,' Mamberti said at a press conference with Rodriguez.

Mamberti said he hoped to support and strengthen the dialogue through his visit, noting the Vatican's emphasis on furthering talks between local churches and national officials around the world.

Rodriguez called the communications between the Cuban government and the Catholic church 'deep and constructive,' 'very favourable' and 'fluid.'

'We believe conditions are given so that, respecting the Cuban Constitution and our laws, which assure religious freedom, these efforts can continue,' Rodriguez said.

Human rights organizations and the opposition have said Cuba has about 200 political prisoners. The Cuban government calls them stooges and spies of the US government.

Answering a question about whether there would be more gestures made to political prisoners, Rodriguez said the government valued the 'constructive role' of the church. He said he hoped that the conversations would continue.

Mamberti had been invited by the Cuban government and the local church, to mark the 75th anniversary of Vatican-Cuban relations.

Mamberti said his visit would not include meetings with political opponents or relatives of the imprisoned dissidents. He criticized the ongoing financial and commercial embargo by the United States of the Caribbean island just off its Florida coast.

Rodriguez welcomed his comments, saying the blockade affected the 'lives of all Cubans.'

Rodriguez also emphasized the points of agreement between the Christian faith and the ideals of the Cuban revolution, such as protection of the family, children and youth.

Mamberti is the highest Vatican representative to visit Cuba since 2009. The late Pope John Paul II visited Cuba in 1998.

The talks between the government and church began in mid-May, with Havana Archbishop Jaime Ortega making the first contacts.