The Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Monseñor Dionisio García Ibáñez, made a strong call for change this Sunday from the Basilica Sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, the island's main Marian sanctuary, during the homily of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.
In his sermon, published by the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba, the prelate was straightforward: "We know that we need to change. At the beginning of the mass, I said that we all need to change and Cuba needs to change, and there must be measures that change the country's situation."
The archbishop explicitly rejected passivity in the face of the crisis facing the island, using a biblical image to challenge the faithful: "Should I leave everything to God and then just sit with my arms crossed? At that moment, two angels could appear to us and ask, 'And what are you doing with your arms crossed?'"
The message was not limited to the spiritual realm but directly addressed the political and social situation of the country, calling for concrete "measures" to transform the living conditions of Cubans.
García Ibáñez's statement comes just days after the United States government offered 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid for Cuba, conditioned on being channeled through the Catholic Church, Caritas, and independent organizations, without state mediation.
That offer turned the ecclesiastical institution into a central player in the dispute between Washington and Havana.
The Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla initially described the proposal as a "fable," although he later softened his stance. Díaz-Canel reacted by defending the regime's relationship with the Church, calling it "rich and productive."
The archbishop's speech this Sunday is not an isolated incident, but rather a continuation of a sustained pattern of criticism from the pulpit of El Cobre.
In January 2026, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba issued its most direct collective statement, read in parishes across the country: "Cuba needs changes, and they are becoming increasingly urgent," warning of the risk of "social chaos" and calling for "no more bloodshed or mourning in Cuban families."
In November 2025, García Ibáñez described the country's situation as a "nonsense" in light of poverty, the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, and the proliferation of diseases.
In March 2024, I had asked the Virgin of Charity for three words that summed up the people's cry: "bread, food, and freedom."
The context in which this new homily takes place is one of maximum pressure on the Cuban Church. In January 2026, State Security threatened Cuban priests for their public criticisms, which makes it even more significant that the archbishop maintains and reinforces his message from the island's most emblematic sanctuary.
García Ibáñez concluded his homily with a statement that transcends the religious: "Cuba needs witnesses of Christ, the world needs witnesses of Christ, those who wish to be proclaimers of His word amidst our sins and weaknesses."
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