Relieve their suffering – Caribbean bishops on Cuba’s crisis

The Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) has issued an urgent pastoral appeal as Cuba endures what the bishops describe as “grave humanitarian hardships” amid a worsening energy and economic crisis that threatens basic human dignity.

In a statement issued last Monday, the bishops expressed “profound pastoral concern for the people of Cuba,” pointing to acute shortages of fuel and essential supplies. These shortages have triggered widespread power cuts and disruptions to hospitals and water systems, while posing “serious threats to food security and basic public services.”

The bishops warned that such conditions “risk deepening anguish and suffering among ordinary citizens who have already endured much,” adding pointedly: “While Cuba stands in need of renewal and positive change, it does not need more pain.”

Cuba’s fragile economy has long been shaped by the United States embargo imposed in 1962. Additional sanctions have intensified economic pressure, and recent measures by the Trump administration targeting oil shipments to the island, including efforts to deter third countries from supplying fuel, have compounded shortages. The resulting fuel crisis has left the Caribbean island struggling to maintain electricity generation, transportation, and food distribution, worsening hardships for ordinary families.

“As bishops of the Caribbean, we speak first as members of one human family and one Body in Christ,” the Conference stated. “The Church cannot remain silent when dignity is threatened and access to food, healthcare, and basic necessities becomes increasingly uncertain.” They emphasised that the heaviest burdens fall on “families, the elderly, children, and the most vulnerable.”

Echoing regional leaders who have called for a reconsideration of policies that may intensify civilian suffering, the bishops insisted that “humanitarian considerations must never be overshadowed by political or strategic interests.”

Disagreements among nations, they said, “must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy rather than by coercion or conflict.”

Inviting the faithful to prayer, the AEC asked for “relief from suffering, for wisdom among leaders, and for pathways to peace, justice, and reconciliation,” entrusting the Cuban people to the intercession of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, patroness of Cuba. The full message is available on the AEC Facebook page.