Orlando Marquez Resigns As Spokesman For The Archdiocese Of Havana

Orlando Marquez Resigns As Spokesman For The Archdiocese Of Havana /
14ymedio
Posted on April 10, 2016

14ymedio, Havana – The director of Palabra Nueva (New Word) magazine,
Orlando Marquez, has resigned his post as spokesperson for the Havana
Archdiocese, according to a statement released this Thursday. The
spokesperson for Cardinal Jaime Ortega says that he has made the
decision "for strictly personal reasons."

"I believe in the need for change and renewal," he said. "I believe that
the time has come for me to step away so that others can continue the
work, according to their abilities, styles and life experiences,
confident that it will always be in service to the Church and to
readers, from Truth and Charity," Marquez wrote in a note that
circulated to various media and personal friends.

The resignation was communicated several days earlier to the Cardinal
and to the Editorial Board of Palabra Nueva, a publication founded by
Marquez. A layperson, Marquez says he has never considered the magazine
as something personal, but as a service to the Church and to Cuba. He
said that the success it has enjoyed has been due to all those who have
collaborated on every issue that has been published.

Marquez emphasizes that "although it does not seem necessary, I prefer
to insist that there is no other motivation in this decision. My
relations with my Archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, are excellent." And
he added, "Working with him for 25 years has been a privilege and a
constant learning opportunity and, I would add, an authentic human
relationship."

As of Thursday, Marquez resigns from any other "direct responsibility
for the publication," and he says that "it is up to Cardinal Ortega to
appoint the new director of Palabra Nueva."

Last February, Marquez gave a lecture at the Convent of San Juan de
Letran in Havana where he was questioned from the audience about the
relationship between the Church and the Office of Religious Affairs of
the Central Committee of the Communist Party. The speaker acknowledged
that "ultimately it is a relationship between the Church and an
ideology, and an ideology that sees the Church always under suspicion."

Source: Orlando Marquez Resigns As Spokesman For The Archdiocese Of
Havana / 14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/orlando-marquez-resigns-as-spokesman-for-the-archdiocese-of-havana-14ymedio/