Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an emergency campaign for Cuba, where the population is facing an extremely difficult situation.
Montreal, February 18, 2026 – Due to the fuel blockade and sanctions against the country, the socio-economic situation, which was already precarious, has become simply unsustainable in Cuba. “According to our information, transportation, hospitals, schools, and social services are severely affected, and their operations are seriously compromised as the energy supply dwindles,” says Marie-Claude Lalonde, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada. “We also know that families are beginning to run out of food, hygiene products, and basic supplies because transportation is no longer functioning and the distribution of goods has become impossible.”
Even the Catholic Church is facing these shortages alongside the people. “The religious sisters and priests have almost nothing themselves. Yet they continue to serve the poorest and share what little they have.”
That is why Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada is launching an appeal for donations. “Your support will help the Church continue its work in service to the population, which is essential in many regions,” says Ms. Lalonde. Indeed, the Church in Cuba operates centres for people with disabilities, centres for the elderly, and other social initiatives which, in some areas, are more than necessary.
Donations for Cuba, click below:
Donations can also be made by calling 514-932-0552 or toll-free at 1-800-585-6333, ext. 228.
By mail:
Support for Cuba — ACN Canada
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) Canada
P.O. Box 670, Station H Montreal, QC H3G 2M6
Appeal from Cuban bishops
In a written statement obtained by ACN, the Catholic bishops of Cuba appeal to all people of good will and “those who bear greater responsibility when it comes to making decisions for the good of the nation.” In their message dated January 31, they state that “it is time to create a climate free of internal and external pressures or conditions, in which the structural, social, economic, and political changes that Cuba needs can be carried out.”
They also recall Pope John Paul II’s historic trip in 1998 and the “memorable address” he gave: “The Cuban people cannot be deprived of ties with other peoples, which are necessary for economic, social, and cultural development, especially when the resulting isolation indiscriminately affects the population, increasing the difficulties of the weakest in basic areas such as food, health care, and education.”
In this speech, “whose relevance remains striking,” the pope called for commitment to “overcome the anguish caused by material and moral poverty, whose causes may include, among others, unjust inequalities, limitations of fundamental freedoms, the depersonalization and discouragement of individuals, and restrictive economic measures imposed from outside the country, unjust and ethically unacceptable.”
In addition, they reiterate the position of the pope and the Holy See, “in accordance with international law,” which “is that governments should resolve their disagreements and conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, not through coercion or war.”
Finally, the bishops write that the Catholic Church in Cuba “will continue to accompany this people whom we love, in the manner proper to the mission entrusted to her by the Lord. She will continue praying for all, celebrating the faith, proclaiming the Gospel, and serving the poor, the sick, families, and prisoners. She will continue to call for conversion and for the living out of fraternal love, justice, and peace. She also offers her readiness, should it be requested, to help lower the tone of hostilities between parties and to create spaces of fruitful collaboration ordered toward the common good.”
To read the bishops’ original message in Spanish, or the French translation:
