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The Church and Cuba

by Alejandro Bermudez 

At present, every nation in Latin America formally proclaims the modern concept of separation between Church and State, with the exception of Costa Rica, which is still legally a Catholic nation. But in daily life, things are deeply entangled and separation is less visible.

The challenge for the Catholic Church in Latin America has always been where to stand exactly in relation to the State. She can’t ally herself too closely with the State and thereby compromise her moral and spiritual independence, but she also cannot distance herself too far from civil authority and compromise her effectiveness and presence in the public square.

Cuba is no exception to the rule, but with one significant, major complication. There, the Church has been forced to coexist with the longest Communist dictatorship in Latin American history.
Outside of Cuba, many – especially Cuban exiles – would prefer a more outspoken, aggressive, pro-freedom Church. Yet on the island itself – where the current archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, spent a year in Castro’s jail for being an outspoken young priest – things are more complicated.

The government regime uses a carrot-and-stick policy with the Catholic bishops, meaning the authorization to bring in much needed donations, or visas for missionaries on waiting lists, depends completely on the government’s mood. The daily operational life of the Catholic Church is dependent on the government. Gasoline to transport the scarce clergy to parishes, rationed food and utility services for seminaries, paper and ink to print the few Catholic papers – on any given day, these could be taken away, and the government could practically paralyze the Church without any China-like arrest of priests or closing down of parishes.

This is the main reason why Cuban bishops have always been between a rock and a hard place in deciding if their responsibility as shepherds is to guarantee that the Church remains operational, or to issue statements that, at least internally, would help very little.

Most frequently, the bishops have opted for the former. That is why a recent interview in which Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Cuba’s foremost Catholic leader, calls for change is so important.

Published in the official Church newletter Palabra Nueva (New Word), the interview was carefully crafted. It was conducted by Orlando Márquez, a smart, introverted Cuban who in 1992 became the first layperson ever to officially work for the Catholic Church: in other words, the first authorized by the government to receive a salary from the Church. Márquez, now in his mid 40s, is one of the smartest, closest advisors of Cardinal Ortega, and is the editor of Palabra Nueva.

The interview itself was a carefully calculated decision to move the episcopate in the direction of “disengagement,” distancing itself from the government by criticizing it, even if only mildly. In fact, many have found Cardinal Ortega’s criticism too mild for what Castro's regime deserves. But that misses the point of how paranoid the government is, how thin-skinned the upper echelons of the government are, and how quick they are to punish dissenters.

It is very likely that, as a consequence of the interview, some parishes may not receive enough gas to run a priest’s old car, or that Palabra Nueva will have to skip an edition or two because of a lack of paper. 

But again, the risk was calculated.

In the introduction to the interview, Márquez tried to carefully frame the discussion:

(T)o anyone paying attention to what is happening in Cuba today, Cuban or foreigner, it is clear that we are experiencing one of the most unique moments in our history. However much we insist on the contrary, there are uncertainties in the economic, political, cultural and even religious aspects impacting our national life. To all this, we should add the place of the Church in the midst of Cuban society: while some people think that it says too much, others think that it says little.

... Palabra Nueva presents not only a timely perspective from our Archbishop and shepherd in regard to the moment we are living, but also ... the Church's call for dialogue and reconciliation among Cubans.

Cardinal Ortega left behind the verbose, elliptic language typically used in addressing internal political issues and instead called for the Cuban government to release some 200 political prisoners. He likewise lamented the death of  the political dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo and the official harassment of the “Ladies in White,” a group of wives and daughters of political prisoners who attend Mass together each week before marching in silent protest through Havana.

Acknowledging that differences remain on how to address the country’s growing economic problems, he yet expressed hope “that the necessary changes are made in Cuba quickly.” And while criticizing the U.S. embargo, he added, “I am convinced that the first thing should be to meet, talk and advance a dialogue. That is the civilized way to confront any conflict.”

The Catholic Church is the largest independent institution in Cuba, and many have been expecting the leadership to signal the way toward change. With Catholics being the main force behind the largest and most important dissident organization, Movimiento Cristiano Liberación (Christian Movement Liberation – MCL), the cardinal’s interview is more than a wink of approval.

The Catholic Church in Cuba will certainly pay the cost of this interview in the short term, but the consequences could be very far reaching.

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(The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Headline Bistro or the Knights of Columbus.)