After more than 20 years, Jesús Sacramentado once again walked the streets of Havana (Cuba), within the framework of the celebrations for the solemnity of the Body of Christ.
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Father Jorge Luis Pérez told EWTN Noticias that the objective of the procession was to imbue the Cuban people with the “spirituality of the real presence of Christ (in the Eucharist) that accompanies, sustains and consoles.”
The activity, which toured 23rd Avenue in the Cuban capital – one of the busiest in the country – was carried out with the permission of the authorities of the Castro regime. However, it was heavily guarded by members of the Cuban National Revolutionary Police (PNR) and other state security agents dressed as civilians.
Along the way, some stops were made to listen to meditations prepared by children, young people, nuns and priests.
“This is the opportunity that many faithful have to, in addition to making a public expression of their faith, entrust to God their dreams, their lives and the remaining citizens of the island, who are living through such difficult times,” said Rachel Diez, EWTN correspondent. News in Cuba.
A crowd of faithful accompanied the Lord on his tour through the streets of the San Juan Pablo II Vicariate. “In all the other processions we take images. In this procession we bring out the Author of life himself, Jesus Christ, our Lord,” said Father Pérez.
The voice of Catholics at Corpus Christi in Havana
Aymeé Rodríguez, who participated in the procession, told EWTN Noticias that she offered the activity “for the Cuban people, so that they may find Jesus as the only salvation, as the only Way, as the only Truth. So that more may join Jesus.”
Likewise, another pilgrim—Leidis de la Torre—said that she attended to also pray “for the people of Cuba” and for the families. Additionally, she prayed “for the young people who are no longer in Cuba, because the houses have run out of young people.”
The journey with Jesús Sacramentado ended in the parish of San Juan Bautista and Santo Domingo de Guzmán, run by the Dominican friars. The Cuban national anthem was sung there, sung for the first time in the mid-19th century, precisely in a procession of the Body of Christ.
At the site, Cardinal Juan de la Caridad García—Archbishop of Havana—said that the mission of Christians lies in striving to prepare “those we love, so that they may encounter Christ deeply, be happy in this life and after.” “Together we all sing to our God as we have done in this procession.”
According to Diez, the procession of the Blessed Sacrament was not only carried out in Havana, but other dioceses were allowed to carry it out. “A tradition that is so common in many nations of the world, but in Cuba it was confined to the space of the parishes for decades,” he indicated.
“Let’s hope it remains, because this is not a royalty that any government should give us, but a right that – far from offering any harm – encourages Catholics to remain in relationship with God and with their brothers,” concluded the EWTN News correspondent. .
Andres Henriquez
I have been a writer for ACI Prensa and a correspondent for EWTN since 2023. Since then, I have covered events in the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. Additionally, in Venezuela I have worked with non-governmental organizations in favor of freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I have been a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.