Cuban bishops postpone visit to Rome amid tensions at home

In a press release dated February 12, 2026, the Secretariat of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba announced that, “due to the worsening of the socioeconomic situation of the country, which has created instability and uncertainty in large sectors of the population,” they have postponed their “ad limina” visit to Rome.

Every five years, groups of bishops from each geographical region travel to Rome to meet with the Holy Father and members of the various Vatican departments. They provide the pope with up-to-date information on the concrete circumstances, initiatives, and challenges facing their local Churches.

As the Cuban bishops note, the visit, which was scheduled for February 16-20, would also have given them “the opportunity to pray at the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.” This is a tradition that makes ad limina visits both an administrative meeting and a spiritual pilgrimage. The theme of the visit was to have been “Communion, hope, and mission.”

“The pastors of the Church in Cuba reiterate their communion with the Pope,” but also emphasize “their commitment of prayer and service for the Cuban nation.” It is this latter concern that caused them to postpone the trip to an as-of-yet undefined date.

The situation of the people of Cuba has been difficult for decades. However, it has degenerated further due to the US administration’s efforts since January to pressure the government to change, using political and economic pressure to drastically reduce oil shipments to the Caribbean island.

This has impacted many aspects of daily life, from the generation of electricity and the availability of fuel for automobiles and airplanes.

At the same time, as a sign of hope, on February 10, Caritas Cuba — part of a global humanitarian initiative of the Catholic Church — announced the arrival in Cuba of seven shipping containers of food and hygiene kits from the United States. These supplies are destined to help families still suffering need after Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island last October.

This is in the context of two aid packages worth a total of $9 million pledged so far this year by the U.S. government. "The arrangements are being made directly between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church in Cuba, without the intervention of the communist regime," the National Catholic Register notes. The State Department states that this is to avoid the "failed Cuban regime" interfering with or diverting the aid from its intended goal.

Cuba has been a point of contention for the United States since the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro instituted a communist and atheist state, aligned at the time with the USSR. The Church’s presence and activity was strictly limited until a gradual rapprochement began in the 1980s. It has at times played a mediating role both inside the country and with foreign powers. The constitution was amended in 1992, finally allowing greater religious freedom. Since then, the Church has become increasingly vocal in public life.