Joe Biden sends message to Cubans in recognition of Our Lady of Charity homage
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sent a message in Spanish to Cuban-American voters joining in the Catholic celebration in honor of Our Lady of Charity, considered the patron saint of Cuba and affectionately known as Cachita.
“On the feast of Our Lady of Charity, Jill [his wife] and I pray that the love and compassion that ‘Cachita’ inspires will fill the hearts of her believers around the world,” the former vice president said in a statement addressed to Cubans in South Florida shared with el Nuevo Herald and posted on social media.
“This challenging time for our nation and for the world reminds us of the importance that we can all live and practice our faith freely,” added Biden.
The Republican campaign also sent a congratulatory tweet to Our Lady of Charity believers.
“Pope John Paul II described Cachita as the ‘loving mother’ of all Cubans, and today we join them in celebrating her,” the Republican campaign posted on Twitter. “May God bless you!”
The message is directed at people from a nation where religious freedom is restricted.
According to the human rights organization Solidaridad Cristiana Mundial, the Cuban government has intensified “the harassment and detention of members of religious groups that advocate greater religious and political freedom.”
Biden said that both he and his wife join “all those who seek a future in which the Cuban people are free to determine their own destiny.”
“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to fight for human rights, freedom and democracy on the island,” Biden said.
Biden’s campaign told el Nuevo Herald that they have prepared a program to celebrate the anniversary under the hashtag #CaridadConBiden.
The program includes community prayer, charity work, a caravan for the saint and a space to make calls on behalf of the Democratic candidate.
The devotion to Our Lady of Charity spread in Cuba after small statue was found floating on the waters of Nipe Bay, to the east of the island. Historians believe that a possible date of the find was 1612, although there are debates on the subject.
The statue, carrying a child and the Christian symbol of the cross, was venerated by the Mambises, the fighters for Cuban independence against the Spain. Pope Benedict XV declared her patron saint of Cuba at the request of the Mambises in 1915.
Our Lady of Charity has also been recognized by Cubans of the Yoruba religion as Oshún, the African orisha related to fertility and love.
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