The Cuban priest Alberto Reyes called this Tuesday for action so that the island's youth do not give up on their dreams and can envision a future of freedom and opportunities in their own country, in a reflection published on the occasion of the feast of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.
Reyes shared this Tuesday on Facebook a text titled “On the Occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Charity,” in which he linked the devotion to the Patroness of Cuba with the need to transform the reality that the country is experiencing.
"There are circumstances in life that give us an identity. By the mere fact of being born on this land, we are Cubans, and we are children of the Virgin of Charity," he expressed.
The priest explained that, in his opinion, charity should not be limited to recognizing problems, but instead requires taking action to address them.
«Charity is effective love, it is the love that transforms, that touches the reality in front of it and makes it better,» he affirmed, before insisting on a phrase that runs through all his reflections: “Something must be done”.
One of his most direct calls was aimed at the new generations, at a time when thousands of young Cubans have left the country, and many of those who remain face a situation of instability and a lack of opportunities.
«We must do something so that our young people do not stop dreaming and do not stop pursuing their dreams. They must continue to believe that, on our land, freedom and opportunities are possible, that we can achieve a country that encourages people to stay and not to leave,» he wrote.
Reyes added that young people are "the sweet hope of the homeland" and defended the value of every action aimed at "defending the truth and advocating for justice."
The priest also called for teaching children and teenagers to confront material difficulties without normalizing poverty.
"There is a need to do something so that our children and adolescents learn to face the adversities of scarcity and precariousness with strength, while instilling in them that misery is not a value, and that one must seek prosperity," he pointed out.
In his reflection, he also addressed the difficulties families face in making ends meet, as well as the situation of the elderly and those living alone, whose daily lives, he asserted, must no longer be "a nightmare of hunger and scarcity."
Reyes also delivered a clear message to the Cuban authorities and emphasized the need for deep changes in the country.
"There must be action taken to awaken the authorities and make them realize that if we do not unite our wills for a change in political and social structure, we are driving this country into a dead end, into an infinite void," he warned.
He also called on the churches, asking them not to be afraid to show a faith that can confront evil with truth and defend those who suffer.
His message coincides with one of the most concerning trends of the Cuban demographic crisis.
Data released this year by researchers from the Center for Demographic Studies indicate that 50% of those who left Cuba by the end of 2024 were young people and children under 35 years old, despite that segment representing 38.4% of the population.
The reflection comes just days after Reyes dedicated another prayer to the Virgin of Charity, in which he asked to preserve "the courage to tell the truth" in the midst of repression and to maintain hope for a future of freedom for Cuba.
Related videos:
Filed under: