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SANTIAGO DE CUBA BISHOP CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF ORDINATION
By Jorge Luis Ramón Castillo

Santiago de Cuba, June 25, 2005. ICDPRESS. This Saturday the Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, Monsignor Pedro Meurice Estíu, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination and gave an exclusive statement to this independent press bureau.

 

The prelate confessed feeling like a “useless servant” upon reaching his fifty years of ministry.

 

“I know that I have been a useless servant, but I have tried only to serve God, my Church, and my Country.”


He also expressed his gratitude to all the people who have helped him succeed and revealed that his only great truth is trying to remain faithful to God, his Church, and his people come what may.

Jaime Ortega Alamino, Cuba’s Cardinal, traveled from Havana specially to participate in the celebration.

 

Cuba’s 10 other catholic bishops, accompanied by 32 priests, 5 deacons, 12 acolytes, as well as more than 2000 faithful made the cathedral tremble with their applause while Monsignor P. Meurice made his way toward the main seat at the back.


Representatives of the Cuban regime, lead by Grisel Ochoa, the Director of the Office of Religious Affairs in the province, also attended the event.


The mass took place in an atmosphere of both respect and joy from all the people present at the Gold Anniversary of this priest loved by all the Cuban people.


Although the majority wished to hear Monsignor Meurice, it was the words of Father Rafael Ángel López-Silverio that provided tremendous applause once again. The pastor made reference to the archbishop’s magnificent pastoral work in spite of the difficult moments he had to endure.


”One only reaches fifty years of priesthood when the priest leads his life in constant thanksgiving to God. Pedro Meurice has lived here (in Cuba) with us, because of us, and for us,” he expressed.

 

He also noted that Monsignor is already part of the Cuban history and that the people cannot afford to lose their history because along with it, they could lose their freedom.


The image of the late Archbishop Enrique Pérez Serantes immediately began to add to the topic of historic memory. Father López-Silverio expressed the profound influence that the pastor had on Monsignor Meurice’s life, who on June 26, 1955, he ordained as priest and on August 30, 1967 as bishop.


The close relationship between Meurice and his predecessor was marked as one of a father and his beloved son. Upon Pérez Serantes’ death, being only 38 years old, Pedro Meurice took charge of the archdiocese under Pope Paul VI in 1970 to the amazement of many.


During the celebration, a letter sent by Pope Benedict XVI to the Archbishop of Cuba was read.

 

”We do not want our voice to lack on this special day of your jubilee for your fifty years of priesthood. We are certain that thousands of your faithful people will be with you on this moment. May you receive our blessings and our congratulations,” the Holy Father’s missive, dated May 26, 2005, expressed.

 

Olga López, a retired professor, stated that the hundreds of people gathered at the cathedral did it for the love they felt toward the pastor and not because they were obligated by any means to participate, as it usually is for events that the government organizes.

 

At the request of Monsignor Meurice, the people sang “Virgencita del Cobre” or “Our Lady of Charity from Cobre,” a song that is very special to him in which the image of the Our Lady of Charity, the Patroness of Cuba, is venerated.


At the end of the mass, the streets were filled with the crowds that walked to St. Francis of Assisi Church, located at around 500 meters from the cathedral. In St. Francis, a toast for more than 2000 guests awaited them. 


Cardinal Ortega and Monsignor Meurice met with the Cuban curia at the main hall of the “casa-vivienda” where they shared 30 minutes of each other’s time.

 

Later the archbishop, dressed completely in black, said farewell to the Cardinal and took advantage of the time to exchange words with some of the faithful in the Franciscan patio. 
 
At 2:20 PM sharp, he left the place with an expression on his face that showed the joy of a pastor that had the pleasure of being with his flock.

 

The same sky that had threatened everyone with dark clouds and downpours during the previous week, now granted a sunny day as a gift for the fifty years that this man has given to serve God.

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About the author


Jorge Luis Ramón Castillo Jorge Luis Ramón Castillo
Activista cívico en Santiago de Cuba. En estos momentos dirige el Instituto Independiente Cultura y Democracia en esa ciudad, en sustitución de su hermano, José Gabriel Ramón Castillo, encarcelado y condenado a 20 años de prisión durante la ola represiva de marzo, 2003.

 

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