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Monseñor Silvano Herminio Pedroso Montalvo, bishop of the Diocese of Guantánamo-Baracoa and the first Afro-descendant bishop in the history of the Catholic Church in Cuba, passed away in the early hours of Saturday in Havana, at the age of 73, due to an oncological illness, as confirmed by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba.
The illness was detected last February, during a visit to Rome in which the prelate met in a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, as part of the ad limina visit of the Cuban episcopate, which the other bishops postponed due to the severe fuel crisis on the Island.
After the papal meeting, Father Silvano fell ill and the medical tests conducted in Rome at the Gemelli Hospital and in the infirmary of the Society of Jesus revealed an oncological diagnosis.
He returned to Havana on June 3, where he was placed under the care of the Compassionist Sisters and later transferred to the infirmary of the Daughters of Charity, adjacent to the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, where he passed away.
On June 11, the Episcopal Conference had reported that his health condition was "very delicate" and asked for prayers for him.
Monsignor Arturo González Amador, president of the Episcopal Conference, described him as "a mature man, with calm and objective judgment, well-educated and cultured, possessing proper manners; although reserved and somewhat withdrawn at times, he was a man with a good sense of humor, able to share and laugh with friends."
The Diocese of Santa Clara, in its farewell message, emphasized that "he had the honor of being the bishop of a young diocese, predominantly rural, in the easternmost part of Cuba, with few churches and a scattered population, far from his friends and family," and added: "He lived his role as a shepherd of God's people quietly, but with dedication and silent sacrifice, first as a priest and then as a bishop."
Born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, on April 25, 1953, Pedroso Montalvo grew up in a home of diverse faith: his father, Silvano, was a doctor and Catholic; his mother, Catalina, was Baptist.
Before embracing the priesthood, he earned a degree in Geography from the University of Havana and worked in that profession at the Institute of Physical Planning of Las Tunas between 1979 and 1982.
At the age of 34, in 1987, he entered the San Carlos and San Ambrosio Major Theological Seminary in Havana, where he received the diaconate on January 9, 1995, and was ordained a priest on June 12 of that same year by Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino at the Cathedral of Havana.
During his long priestly ministry, he served as a parish priest in Quivicán, Bejucal, Melena del Sur, and Güines. He was also the diocesan director of vocational pastoral care and oversaw the House of Priests of San Juan María Vianney.
On March 29, 2018, Pope Francis made public his appointment as bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa, making him the first Afro-descendant bishop in Cuba.
His episcopal ordination took place on May 27, 2018, at the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Habana, once again officiated by Cardinal Ortega, and on June 9 of that year, he took possession of his diocese at the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Ricci in Guantánamo.
He was the third bishop of that see, established by Pope John Paul II during his historic visit to Cuba in 1998.
His episcopal motto, taken from the Gospel of John, encapsulated his vocation: "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34).
Her funeral will be held this Saturday at 3:00 PM at the parish of Santa Catalina de Siena, located at 25 and Paseo in El Vedado, followed by a transfer to the Colón cemetery, where she will be laid to rest.
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