The Cuban Catholic Church lost one of its historical prelates this Friday: Monsignor Mario Eusebio Mestril Vega, emeritus bishop of the Diocese of Ciego de Ávila, passed away at the age of 86 after a rapid decline in health that the diocese had warned about days earlier.
Born on March 5, 1940 in Nuevitas, Cuba, Mestril Vega was ordained a priest in 1964 and consecrated bishop on February 9, 1992. His name is forever linked to the history of the Church in the province of Ciego de Ávila: when Pope John Paul II established that diocese on February 2, 1996, he became its first bishop, taking possession of the see on April 28 of that year.
He governed the diocese for more than two decades, until 2017, when he became bishop emeritus upon being succeeded by Juan Gabriel Díaz Ruiz.
His passing occurred days after the diocesan institution itself alerted about his health condition. On September 25, the Rev. Randol Pineda Muñoz, chancellor and spokesperson for the diocese, issued a statement through the institution's Facebook page in which he warned that "his health has deteriorated rapidly" in the previous 48 hours and asked for prayers from the faithful.
The statement did not specify the diagnosis or cause of the deterioration, but the seriousness of the situation was implicit in the urgency of the call to the Catholic community.
Mestril Vega was the first bishop of the Diocese of Ciego de Ávila and held the position for the longest duration within the institution, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary of foundation this April, a milestone where the pastoral legacy of the late prelate took center stage.
After his retirement, his successor, Juan Gabriel Díaz Ruiz, was transferred in April 2022 as bishop of Matanzas, leaving the position in Avilés vacant, a status that remains to this day. Since May 15 of that year, Father Dariusz Jozef Chalupczynski has served as diocesan administrator.
With his death, the Catholic Church in Cuba loses one of the prelates who significantly contributed to the institutional consolidation of the Church in Ciego de Ávila since the late 20th century, during particularly challenging decades for religious practice under the dictatorship.
Mestril Vega was a witness and key player in pivotal moments for Cuban Catholicism, including the historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba in 1998, which marked a milestone in the relations between the Church and the State on the Island.
The Diocese of Ciego de Ávila reported the deterioration of its health just a week before its passing.
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