On the afternoon of this July 26th, on the altar of the Santa Metropolitana Cathedral Church of Havana was celebrated the mass of present body of Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, presided over by the Archbishop of Havana Msgr. Juan Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n
Gathered before the lifeless body of the beloved Cuban cardinal, priests, religious, Catholic faithful and people in general offered their last farewell to those who began their pastoral life as a morning priest and was also Bishop of Pinar del R\u00edo and Archbishop for more than thirty years of Havana.<\/p>\n
In his homily, Msgr. Juan Garc\u00eda asked those baptized by the cardinal, those confirmed or blessed by him, and those who simply received one of his counsel, to present to God the concrete good he did to them. “He has shared the death of Christ,” he said, “we hope that he will reach the palace of heaven and be expected by those who helped to be happy and today they also enjoy eternal rest.”<\/p>\n
Likewise, the current Archbishop of Havana highlighted, through a parallel between the life of Christ and that of the cardinal, the sense of service, dedication and suffering that the latter assumed for his Church. “Just as Christ was flogged,” he said, “the cardinal, for living the faith and teaching it, was condemned, mocked, and crucified.” Later, he added, “We have to remember the phrases, the counsel, the teachings he left us over and over again.” At the end of mass, he prayed responsibility along with those present.<\/p>\n
Two floral offerings, one in the name of Ra\u00fal Castro, and the other by the current President of Cuba, Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel, accompany the cardinal’s body that will be on display at Havana Cathedral until sunday next 3:00 p.m., at which time the mass of exequias will be held.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"