Padre Conrado - “The Church has the responsibility of accompanying the people in new pathways”

Padre Conrado: "The Church has the responsibility of accompanying the
people in new pathways" / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar
Posted on November 8, 2015

14ymedio, Luz Escobar, Havana, 8 November 2015 –To a long list of awards
and accolades received by the priest José Conrado Rodríguez Alegre, the
Patmos Institute Prize has been added, awarded last week by the Baptist
church. The pastor said that in his life he has made "a personal journey
of great friendship with my Protestant brothers." About this ecumenical
attitude and the current situation of the Catholic Church in Cuba he
offered this interview by telephone from the city of Trinidad.

Escobar. Some weeks after the visit of Pope Francis to Cuba, what do you
think has been the most important legacy of his visit to the island?

Conrado. It was an extraordinary experience for all of us, Catholics and
Cubans in general. Francis made a call for a more committed life, more
faithful to justice and truth, but also invited us to live more
committed to mercy. He has called us to see the faces of those who are
suffering, who are waiting for a helping hand, one breath. He has
demonstrated that attitude of closeness to the most needy, the poorest,
the elderly, children.

Escobar. The Cuban church is bound to face some changes with the end of
Jaime Ortega y Alamino's tenure as Archbishop of Havana. How do you
envision this new stage to come?

Conrado. The current times demand from us a more intense presence at the
side of the people, a greater commitment with the people and at the side
of the people. I would say these are moments of a new sensitivity to
respond to the call of our people, who have lived through very difficult
times. Our people have had to face great difficulties over the years and
the Church has the responsibility of accompanying the people along these
new pathways. This requires a new inspiration, a renewed ability to seek
paths of hope that will lead us to the responsibility of each person to
achieve a better Cuba.

Escobar. You worked for a long time in the poor neighborhoods and towns
of Santiago de Cuba, but now you are located in Trinidad, a more
prosperous city thanks to tourism. What differences do you see between
one community and the other?

Conrado. In Trinidad there is also great poverty, especially in the
countryside. It is a region of contrasts. Some people are surviving with
a little more resources, but there is also great need. As a consequence,
people see things in a material way, and they turn a little more to
resolving material problems and so often forget life's spiritual
dimension and a commitment to others.

Escobar. You just received the prize from the Patmos Institute which is
a Baptist organization. Is it possible to reconcile religious
differences for the good of Cuba?

Conrado. Yes, there is no doubt. When one adopts an attitude of true
love. Love does not exclude, love includes. Love crosses borders and
breaks down the walls that separate humans.

Escobar. How do you value this award?

Conrado. I am very pleased that people of another Christian denomination
positively assess my behavior, but above all that they have done so
thinking of Cuba.

Escobar. What do you think are the greatest challenges facing the
Catholic Church in Cuba today?

Conrado. The challenge of fighting for justice, of solidarity with those
who have violated your rights, or living overwhelmed and drowned by the
weight of a very difficult life. Seeking ways in which people make their
decisions but without forgetting others, without forgetting this
dimension of openness to love that must always be present in the Christian.

Escobar. What kind of work are you doing from your parish?

Conrado. We help children by giving lunch at noon to those who live far
from school. Many rural classrooms have had to close for economic
reasons and then the children must attend school in the larger towns,
but they live far away and returning home to eat could mean that they
can not return for the afternoon session. It is a real problem.

We also visit the sick, we take care of them. Support for prisoners and
families of prisoners is part of our work. We are there, in those
situations where human beings are helpless, suffering injustice, without
being heard. Pastoral work is accompanying, listening, paying attention,
being there for people.

Source: Padre Conrado: "The Church has the responsibility of
accompanying the people in new pathways" / 14ymedio, Luz Escobar |
Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/padre-conrado-the-church-has-the-responsibility-of-accompanying-the-people-in-new-pathways-14ymedio-luz-escobar/