Cardinal Ortega addresses Cuban Television

Cardinal Jaime Ortega was given the opporturnity to address the people of Cuba on state television Tuesday night ahead of the apostolic visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

The Cardinal said the Holy Father was coming to Cuba as a pilgrim to honor the 400th anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, the patron of Cuba.

``There was great interest in this pilgrimage because the pope is determined to revive the faith in countries that were Christianized before but need a new evangelization, and he saw in this mission a true example of what it is to revive the faith of a people,'' said Cardinal Ortega.

He called Pope Benedict a “pilgrim of charity” who has always had “Cuba in his heart.”

“The pope is an intellectual, he is the pope of reason. He is man who has a vocation for theological science and to this he dedicated his life," he continued. "He comes to make a pastoral visit, to fulfill the mandate that Jesus gave to Peter."

Another television address is planned for next week by archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibáñez of the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, the first stop in Benedict's March 26-28 visit.

Such addresses by Church officials are rare on Cuban television, and a spokesman for the Catholic Church said he hopes this continues at necessary times, even after the papal visit.

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