Archbishop of Cuba (1850-1857)

Appointment

An extremely important fact soon endangered his newly founded Institute. Fr. Claret was appointed Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. After several attempts to resign, he finally accepted the position on 4 October 1849 and he was consecrated Bishop in the Cathedral of Vic on 6 October 1850. He was 42. The motto he chose for his Archbishop’s coat of arms was a veritable life project: “Charitas Christi urget nos” (the love of Christ urges us on). He went to Madrid to receive the pallium and the great cross of Isabella the Catholic. Before he embarked for Cuba, he paid three visits: to Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, to Our Lady of Montserrat in Barcelona and to Our Lady of Fusimanya in Sallent, his hometown. And he still had time, before his departure, to conceive a new foundation, the Religious Wo­men in their Houses, or the Daughters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, now called Cordimarian Filiation. In the port of Barcelona an immense crowd bade farewell to Archbishop Claret with a huge manifestation.

In Cuba

During the trip to Havana he took the opportunity to preach a mission aboard the ship for all passengers, officers and crew. And at last… Cuba. Six years was Claret to spend in the diocese of Santiago de Cuba, tirelessly working, giving missions, sowing love and justice in that island where racial discrimination and social injustice reigned everywhere.

He confronted the foremen, snatched the whip away from their hands. One day he reprimanded a rich landowner who was ill-treating some coloured natives who were working in his property. Seeing that the man was not inclined to change his behaviour, the Archbishop wanted to give him a lesson. He took two pieces of paper, one white and the other black, he set fire to them and pulverised the ashes in the palm of his hand. Then he said: “Sir, could you tell the difference between the ashes of these two papers? Well now, in just the same way, people are equal before God.”

Fr. Claret had an inventive capacity that indicated an uncommon ingenuity. In Holguín some po­pular celebrations were organ­ised. The main attraction was the launching of a manned globe. This aero­static contrivance was among the first tried out in those times. It was a failure; it began to rise, but the pilot lost control and fell in a small ravine. The Archbishop studied the problem and one day he surprised everyone. “Today I have hit upon the globe direction system.” And he showed them a sketch that is kept until today.

He was a practical man. In all parishes he established religious and social institutions for children and adults; created technical and agricultural schools; established and propagated Savings Banks all throughout Cuba. He founded orphanages; visited four times all the cities, towns and settlements of his immense diocese. He always went on foot or on horseback. He was also able to surround himself with an enviable team of great missionaries such as Frs. Adoaín, Lobo, Sanmartí and Subirana.

One of the most important works Fr. Claret carried out in Cuba was the foundation, together with Mother Antonia París, of the Religious Sisters of Mary Immaculate, Claretian Missionary Sisters. This took place, after many difficulties, on 27 August 1855, with the profession of the Foundress.

But not even in Cuba did his enemies leave him in peace. The storm of attempts reached its climax at Holguín, where he was seriously wounded when he was leaving the Church, by a hired assassin, paid by his enemies, whom Claret himself had earlier got out of prison. Fr. Claret asked that the criminal be pardoned. Despite all this, his enemies continued keeping him in sight.

After six years in Cuba, one day an urgent message was brought to him from the Field Marshall of Havana, in which he was informed that Her Majesty Queen Isabel II summoned him to Madrid. It was 18 March 1857.