Singer says Christ’s teachings vital to peace

VATICAN CITY—Visiting the Vatican to participate in the recent TEDx conference on religious freedom, Cuban singer Gloria Estefan said that the teachings of Jesus Christ are central to ensuring peace in the world.

In an interview with CNA, Estefan said she believes it is important that “the basic teachings of Jesus Christ” be passed on to young people.

“It’s about treating other human beings like you want to be treated, and if we did that, there would be no conflicts or difficulties in life,” she said.

The singer arrived in Rome with her husband Emilio Estefan. During the conference, she performed a song and shared her experience with the hundreds of attendees who arrived from all parts of the world.

“I think we need to be in communion with others, and I believe a lot in the power of prayer,” said Estefan, who was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami. “I have tried to live that truth even with my music, because my music is like my catharsis, my support, which has helped me get through very difficult times.”

Estefan said that faith has been a pillar in her life. She recalled the bus accident in 1990 that left her unable to walk and unsure if she would ever sing again. Thanks to the prayers of her fans, she said that she underwent a miraculous recovery.

“When I was in that huge accident I received a lot of prayers from around the world,” she explained. “I believe in God and I will never be an atheist. The world is too beautiful to think that God does not exist.”

After the accident, Estefan composed the song, “Coming Out of the Dark,” a worldwide hit dedicated to God, in which she wanted to “thank all those who sent me their prayers and helped me recover.”

“That song has a very religious meaning for me,” she said. “It signifies the power of prayer and that we all have to help each other.”