Cardinal says Cubans can spread Gospel by following social teaching

Published: 2004-11-23

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- By following and sharing the social teaching of the Catholic Church, Cuban Catholics will help spread the Gospel and foster respect for the rights of every person, said the Vatican secretary of state. Cardinal Angelo Sodano's letter to Catholics gathered in Camaguey, Cuba, Nov. 17-21 for their ninth annual "Catholic Social Week" was released Nov. 23 by the Vatican press office. "In various cultures, nations and spheres," he wrote, "the teaching and application of Catholic social doctrine is a magnificent instrument for evangelization." Cardinal Sodano encouraged Cuban Catholics, particularly lay people, to apply the church's "social Gospel" to the concrete situations in which they live in order to "transform society with the strength and light of the Gospel." Explaining the social teaching clearly and showing how it applies concretely to the lives of Cubans, he said, "will favor a conversion and a style of social relations based on respect and on the defense and promotion of the dignity and rights belonging to every human person."

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