[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      THE U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO CUBA

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                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 1998

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I am attaching for my colleagues' review a 
recent joint statement from the United States Catholic Conference and 
the Catholic Relief Service regarding humanitarian assistance to Cuba. 
Few organizations have done more to help the Cuban people in these 
times of intense shortage on that island nation. I call your attention 
to the references to U.S. policy toward Cuba, particularly as expressed 
in a recent release by the Bishops of Cuba.

     USCC--CRS Statement on Humanitarian Aid to Cuba: June 6, 1998

       Just one year ago, June 6, 1997, we bishops, representing 
     the United States Catholic Conference's Committee on 
     International Policy and the Board of Catholic Relief 
     Services, wrote to President Clinton urging the resumption of 
     direct flights from the United States to Cuba, especially for 
     the delivery of humanitarian aid. On March 20th of this year, 
     the President finally lifted the ban on direct flights, 
     allowing Catholic Relief Services once again to send 
     shipments of medicines and other humanitarian aid to the 
     Cuban Church's relief and development agency, Caritas Cubana. 
     We applaud these actions.
       We are intensely proud of the close relationship of 
     solidarity and cooperative action that has developed between 
     the Church here and in Cuba. The most concrete expression of 
     this solidarity is the provision of critically needed 
     medicines, medical supplies and equipment and other goods, 
     donated by private individuals and corporations in this 
     country, delivered Cuba by Catholic Relief Services, and 
     distributed there by Caritas. Although these efforts can meet 
     only a fraction of the needs experienced by many in Cuba 
     today, the Church in both countries is committed to doing all 
     it can to alleviate suffering and give hope in a time of 
     discouragement.
       There are legislative proposals in the U.S. Congress 
     seeking to address the problem of the dire shortage of many 
     things in Cuba. Some call for an end to the U.S. restrictions 
     on the sale of food and medicines, others propose grants of 
     money or materiel by our government to the needy in Cuba, 
     through the instrumentality of non-governmental groups such 
     as the Catholic Church and its agency Caritas. We welcome 
     these efforts to reach out to our Cuban brothers and sisters 
     in need. The Cuban Bishops' Conference, however, in a 
     statement issued last month, has made clear its firm 
     intention of avoiding any politicization of its humanitarian 
     role in the present crisis and has thus indicated that it 
     will not receive or distribute aid coming from governments. 
     This has been the policy of the Cuban Church in the past and 
     will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
       The position of the U.S. Catholic Conference and Catholic 
     Relief Services is identical with that of the Bishops of 
     Cuba. We pledge to do all we can to encourage private 
     contributions of medicines and other needed goods to Catholic 
     Relief Services for distribution by Caritas Cubana to help 
     lessen some of the suffering brought on in recent years. As 
     we stated following the January papal visit, ``ending the 
     restrictions on the sale of food and medicines, as 
     legislation currently in both houses of the U.S. Congress 
     calls for, would be, in our view, a noble and needed 
     humanitarian gesture and an expression of wise statesmanship 
     on the part of our elected leaders.''
       Just a few days ago, on Pentecost Sunday, the Cuban Bishops 
     issued an important pastoral statement, ``The Spirit Desires 
     to Breathe in Cuba,'' recalling the urgent plea issued by the 
     Holy Father during his visit that the world open up to Cuba 
     and Cuba to the world. The bishops observe that ``at this 
     time the world is opening up to our homeland, we reject any 
     economic siege against our country, as well as any attempt to 
     isolate it.'' The Cuban Bishops call equally for Cuba to open 
     up to the world, for ``an internal opening of the Cuban 
     society,'' requiring that ``human rights . . . be fully 
     respected.'' We pray that the government of Cuba and the 
     government of the United States will reverse those policies 
     of each that have contributed, in very different ways, to the 
     suffering of the Cuban people.
         Most Reverend Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of 
           Newark, Chairman, USCC Committee on International 
           Policy; Most Reverend John H. Ricard, SSJ, Bishop of 
           Pensacola, Chairman, CRS Board of Directors.

           

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