Cubans bid Vicar General a final farewell

Hundreds of mourners gathered Saturday morning (Jan. 4) at Columbus Cemetery in Havana to bid goodbye to Monsignor Carlos Manuel de Céspedes García-Menocal, Vicar General of Havana, who died Friday at the church of St. Augustine, where he was the parish priest.

Monsignor De Céspedes died of a heart attack at the age of 77. For his obituary in Progreso Weekly, click here.

A funeral Mass at the prelate’s church preceded the burial. The Mass was officiated by Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, before at least 600 parishioners, bishops and priests from various provinces, and young seminarians.

As reported by the Spanish news agency Efe, the government was represented by Esteban Lazo, chairman of the National Assembly, and the head of the Religious Affairs Office of the Communist Party, Caridad Diego.

Also in attendance at the church was Ricardo Alarcón, former chairman of the National Assembly and now an advisor to President Raúl Castro. Funeral wreaths included those from President Castro, Miguel Barnet, president of the Union of Writers, and friends such as Alicia Alonso, director of the National Ballet.

In his homily, Cardinal Ortega said that De Céspedes was “the savior” of the Cuban seminary as an institution and said that he conveyed his love for Cuba to the young seminarians. From 1961 to 1966, De Céspedes was Prefect of Discipline at the Good Shepherd Seminary, where he had studied.

At the service, the congregation sang songs in honor of the departed vicar, including the song “Mambisa Virgin,” which Cubans dedicate to their patron saint, the Lady of Charity of Cobre.

The church service ended with shouts of “Long live Cuba!” from the congregation and loud applause.