Bishop urges softening of travel restrictions to Cuba

Published: 2004-07-28

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy has urged Congress to relax new U.S. travel restrictions on visits to Cuba. "We believe the goals of improving the lot of the Cuban people and encouraging the democratization of the governance of Cuba are best accomplished through more rather than less contact between the Cuban and American peoples," said Bishop John H. Ricard of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla. The new restrictions will "exacerbate the situation within the country," he said in a July 22 letter to members of the House of Representatives. The bishop asked them to reconsider travel regulations "with a view toward softening their unnecessarily restrictive aspects." The letter was made public in Washington July 27. It praised the House for approving an amendment to an appropriations bill that would ban the Commerce Department from enforcing some of the new restrictions, but said a wider review of U.S. economic, trade and travel policies is needed.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .