The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated that the Holy See has taken “the necessary steps” regarding the situation in Cuba, always with the aim of favoring an outcome based on dialogue in the face of the problems the island is going through.
According to ACI Prensa, the cardinal made these statements in Rome, during a meeting with several media outlets on the sidelines of the second edition of the interreligious initiative Il Tavolo del Ramadan–Iftar, dedicated to dialogue among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim representatives.
Recent diplomatic contacts on the situation in Cuba
Parolin explained that the Holy See has maintained contacts with Cuban authorities as part of its effort to promote a dialogued solution.
“We have also done what we had to do for Cuba, we have met with the Foreign Minister and we have taken the necessary steps, always with a view to a dialogued solution to the existing problems,” the cardinal noted.
His statements come in a context of intense diplomatic movements surrounding the political and social situation in the Caribbean country.
Read also: The Vatican acts as a mediator between the US and Cuba in a complex diplomatic scenario
On February 28, Pope Leo XIV received Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in audience at the Vatican, who attended as a special envoy of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
After the meeting, the Cuban chancellor publicly expressed his gratitude to the Pontiff through the social network X, where he stated that he felt honored by the audience granted.
Previous meetings with representatives from the United States
The visit of the head of Cuban diplomacy to the Vatican took place just a few days after another relevant contact in Rome.
On February 20, the head of the US diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, met with the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, to address the situation in Cuba and the role played by the Catholic Church in the country’s society.
After that meeting, Hammer stated that the island is going through a decisive moment and expressed his hope that the country can soon achieve “the freedom it has not had in 67 years.”
Initiatives of the Cuban opposition
Parallel to these diplomatic contacts, on March 2, a group of Cubans in exile in Miami, led by Rosa María Payá, founder of the Cuba Decide movement and daughter of the late opposition leader Oswaldo Payá, presented the so-called Liberation Agreement for Cuba.
Read also: Cuban exiles sign an agreement to promote the democratic transition on the island
The document proposes a roadmap consisting of ten measures aimed at restoring “democracy and the rule of law” on the island.
The mediating role of the Holy See
The Holy See has on various occasions played a mediating role in relations between Cuba and the United States.
ACI Prensa recalls one of the most recent episodes, which occurred during the Biden administration, when the Vatican facilitated diplomatic efforts that led to the release of 553 prisoners in Cuba, as part of negotiations that included the removal of the island from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Call for dialogue amid the war in the Middle East
During his statements, Cardinal Parolin also addressed the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, following the clashes between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The Secretary of State emphasized that Vatican diplomacy keeps communication channels open with all the parties involved in an attempt to avoid an expansion of the conflict.
“Open dialogue with everyone is necessary to prevent this immense tragedy that is unfolding from expanding further instead of being contained,” he affirmed.
Parolin also recalled that one of the characteristics of the Holy See’s diplomacy is to maintain contact with all parties, including those in conflict with each other, in order to propose paths that can contribute to peace.