An interview with Cardinal Jaime Ortega of Havana.

By: Ellie Hidalgo.

Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana, Cuba, recently visited Los Angeles for the first time. He spoke with the U.S. bishops at their annual spring meeting in Los Angeles in a closed session June 16. Afterwards he talked with The Tidings and Vida Nueva. The interview, excerpted here, is translated from Spanish.

Cardinal Ortega, who was installed as Havana's archbishop in 1981 and elevated to cardinal in 1994, heads Caritas Cuba, the Catholic humanitarian aid agency. The cardinal has also sought to increase religious liberties among the Caribbean country's 11 million people living under the communist government of Fidel Castro.

The U.S. trade embargo against Cuba also has been tightened in recent years, meaning that Cubans living in the U.S. can only visit close family members on the island once every three years. The cardinal shared his views with The Tidings and Vida Nueva. The full interview can be found at www.the-tidings.com or made click in the title of article above.