Pope condoles the death of Cuba’s Catholic activist

(July 25, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday expressed his prayers and spiritual closeness to the family of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, a leading Cuban Catholic and political dissident, who was killed in an auto accident on Sunday. The Holy Father’s condolence message addressed to Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega Y Alamino, Archbishop of San Cristobal in Havana,Cuba, was sent in the Pope’s name by Archbishop Angelo Becciu, who is the current substitute for general affairs to the Vatican. The Papal message was read during Paya’s funeral mass celebrated by Cardinal Ortega in Havana’s Church of the Divine Saviour of the World. Oswaldo Paya a fervent catholic activist engineered a massive petition drive calling for one party rule in Cuba. He was awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize in 2002.