The respected Cuban priest Valentín Sanz passes away in Havana.

The respected Cuban priest Valentin Sanz passed away in Havana from undisclosed causes.

Born in Havana in 1951, Father Sanz was a parish priest at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Baracoa, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, and at La Merced Church in Havana. He was also a professional photographer.

Hundreds of people have offered their condolences on social media.

The Ermita de la Caridad in Miami remembered on Facebook its life dedicated to the service of God and its community.

"He was a dedicated priest, a prominent photojournalist of papal visits, a parish priest in the hills of Baracoa, a prison chaplain, a tireless theologian, and a constant globetrotter. But above all, Father Sanz was a true humanist, whose life and work touched countless hearts," he said.

Father Sanz, from the Congregation of the Mission of the Vincentian Fathers, knew and helped many people who today remember him with great affection and admiration.

The man from Baracoa, Antonio Rabilero, met him during his time in the First City, and later maintained a good friendship with him in Santiago de Cuba, where he witnessed a curious anecdote.

"A very cultured priest, to the point that he officiated a mass in Chinese at the request of specialists from that nation who worked on the last container terminal at the port of Santiago de Cuba," he revealed.

The magazine Vida Cristiana paid him a heartfelt tribute.

His ministry led him to serve with passion in various communities, leaving an indelible mark in San Joaquín and Baracoa. With his love for photography, he captured the presence of Jesus in the faces of the humble and in the beauty of creation," he emphasized on Facebook.

Yankiel Fernández, coordinator of the Humanitarian Project Breath of Life, referred to him as a "tireless missionary" to whom he thanks for his messages and visit to my grandmother in her final days.

In these last few days, I wrote to you daily on WhatsApp, and yesterday I didn't, how foolish I was, I didn't imagine you would leave so quickly. Your departure hurts so much, right now it's hard to write, but it's something owed to you," he expressed on Facebook.