BY LILLIAM RIERA —Granma International—

CARDINAL Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of State of His Holiness Benedict XVI, reiterated in Havana the words of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba in 1998, when he called the U.S. blockade against the island unjust and ethically unacceptable.

In a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque after a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cardinal Bertone added that the restrictions imposed by Washington constitute oppression of the Cuban people and violate their independence.

He said that he had made attempts to convince the U.S. government to end that policy, and had asked it to permit the reunion of Cuban families as a humanitarian gesture.

Due to the Bush administration’s restrictions, Cubans who reside in the United States can only visit their loved ones on the island every three years.

Bertone noted that the objective of his visit was to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the visit to Cuba by the now-deceased Pope John Paul II, whom he described as a fighter for justice and peace throughout the world and who, he said, had left immense memories in Cuba.

After sending respectful greetings to Fidel Castro, Cardinal Bertone described bilateral relations as excellent, and said that the Catholic Church and Cuba’s new Council of State, led by Raúl Castro, shared the same aspiration of development for the Cuban people.

The Vatican secretary of state said that during his visit, he had experienced convergence in the positions of the Catholic Church and Cuban authorities in response to central issues on the international agenda, such as the need to restructure the UN and the democratization of international relations, particularly economic ones, for the common benefit of the poorest countries, as well as environmental issues.

Bertone, who is also the Catholic Church’s camerlengo [the cardinal who heads the Apostolic Camera], said that those and other issues would occupy an important place in the speech that the Pope is to give during his visit to the United Nations in April.

Cardinal Bertone said he was grateful for how authorities had facilitated his visits throughout the country, particularly in Havana, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo, and the inauguration of the monument in honor of the memory of John Paul II.

Foreign Minister Pérez Roque, for his part, reiterated Cuba’s satisfaction at the presence of the dignitary, the bearer of the words and message of Pope Benedict XVI to the Cuban people, as an expression of the fluid, cordial and respectful relations between the Holy See and Cuba.

The Cuban minister described the meeting with the Vatican Secretary of State as "cordial, frank and respectful," and emphasized their extensive discussions on bilateral relations and the main problems on the international agenda. He explained that they had essential agreement on issues of top interest.

Pérez Roque said that during their "agreeable and profound" conversation, he had emphasized to Bertone the willingness of Cuban authorities to continue working to expand and deepen communication between the Catholic Church and the Cuban State.

Finally, Foreign Minister Pérez Roque thanked Bertone for his words of encouragement and recognition of the new authorities elected during the constituent session of Cuba’s Parliament on February 24.

MASTER’S LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAVANA’S AULA MAGNA

That same day, Bertone gave a master lecture at the University of Havana’s Aula Magna, titled "Culture and Fundamental Ethics of Human Living."

Cardinal Bertone advocated harmony between culture and ethics for building a world with values that stimulate human and social development.

Coexistence without values is like culture without ethics, and that leads to a dehumanized society, he said.

In that context, the cardinal extolled the ideas of illustrious Cubans like the national hero José Martí and Father Félix Varela, and paid his respects to the latter’s remains, which are kept in the Aula Magna.

The likewise theologian and professor expounded on the thesis of cultural and ethical relativity, citing a concept that he said the Pope calls the dictatorship of relativity, which defines the practice of certain governments that may even resort to force to determine what they believe is right or wrong, he explained.

After his lecture, Bertone presented a book with paintings by Michelangelo in the Vatican to the University of Havana’s rector, Rubén Sardoya, along with a medal from the pontificate of Benedict XVI.

Those attending his lecture included Culture Minister Abel Prieto and other well-known Cuban intellectuals, such as Armando Hart, Fina García, Cintio Vitier, Miguel Barnet, Eusebio Leal and Roberto Fernández Retamar.

Granma 26-02-2008