H. Res. 362
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
September 15, 1998.
Whereas Pope John Paul II earlier this year undertook a
first ever Papal visit to Cuba to speak directly to the
Cuban people;
Whereas the Pope led the Cuban people in celebration
throughout the island, including leading the largest open-
air mass since 1959 on the last day of his visit in Jose
Marti Plaza;
Whereas the Pope spoke directly with the Cuban people and
the Cuban Government about the importance of fun-
damental human rights and the necessity for ‘‘each per-
son enjoying freedom of expression, being free to under-
take initiatives and make proposals within civil society,
and enjoying appropriate freedom of association’’;
Whereas the Pope called for political freedom in Cuba, in-
cluding a call to release ‘‘those who are isolated, per-
secuted, imprisoned for various offenses or for reasons of
conscience, for ideas which though dissident are nonethe-
less peaceful’’;
Whereas the Pope called for greater religious freedom in
Cuba and a ‘‘harmonious social climate and a suitable
legislation that enables every person and every religious
confession to live their faith freely, to express that faith
•HRES 362 EH
in the context of public life and to count on adequate re-
sources and opportunities to bring its spiritual, moral
and civil benefits to bear on the life of the nation’’;
Whereas Cuban churches of all faiths supported the Papal
visit and emerged from the visit with expectations of
greater prominence and freedom to operate in Cuban so-
ciety;
Whereas the Pope invoked the name of Father Felix Varela
y Morales, ‘‘an undeniable patriot’’, who ‘‘spoke of de-
mocracy, judging it to be the political project best in
keeping with human nature’’, and the name of Jose
Marti, ‘‘a writer and a teacher in the fullest sense of the
word, deeply committed to democracy and independence,
a patriot, a loyal friend even to those who did not share
his political program’’;
Whereas the Pope remembered ‘‘those people who for various
reasons have left the country but still feel that they are
sons and daughters of Cuba’’ and established that ‘‘the
Cuban people should be the protagonists of their own fu-
ture and destiny’’;
Whereas the Pope both called for greater integration of the
people of Cuba into the international community and
criticized the Castro Government by saying ‘‘imposed iso-
lation strikes the people indiscriminately, making it ever
more difficult for the weakest to enjoy the bare essentials
of decent living’’; and
Whereas the Pope challenged Cuba and the international
community of nations by saying ‘‘May Cuba with all its
magnificent potential, open itself up to the world, and
may the world open itself up to Cuba’’: Now, therefore,
be it
•HRES 362 EH
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends Pope John Paul II for his visit to
Cuba, for his frank criticism of the Cuban Government,
and his message of hope to the Cuban people; and
(2) urges the international community to join the
United States in actively supporting the freedom and
democratic reforms for Cuba embodied in the Pope’s
homilies which have peacefully united Cubans in the
common cause of liberty.
Attest:
Clerk.