Catholics call for reform in Cuba

Cuba is one of the last surviving Communist countries in the world. The island nation is suffering under economic, political and social repression imposed by the government. In a recent appeal, signed by many member of the Catholic clergy, Cuban Catholics have called on reform to improve the lives of the Cuban people.

By ACN Staff

Communist graffiti in Havana, Cuba. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Since 1959, Cuba has been under the control of a Communist government. This government has put into place serious limitation to economic, political and personal freedom. The Catholic Church in Cuba also faces government limitation, although the restrictions placed on the Church in Cuba are not as severe as in some other Communist countries but are still unacceptable. In a statement made on 24th January this year, Cuban Catholics have publicly called for major reforms to be made in the Communist country. The state was signed on 1st February by 725 Cuban citizens, including many members of the Catholic clergy.

Havana, Cuba. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

The statement called for a complete overhaul of Cuba’s governance and laws to prevent the economic, political and social collapse on the island. The statement explains:

“Cuba needs political changes. We need to overcome authoritarianism”.

The signatories wish to see a “republic where the full dignity of every man and woman is respected” and explain that their own motivations are based in the teachings of Christ. The appeal specifically addresses the economic consequences of Cuba’s governance. The economic situation in Cuba is dire.  The economic situation is the main cause of the large-scale emigration from the country. This fact is lamented in the appeal. Basic necessities are expensive, and people are unable to live dignity, with people having to live “under the constant threat of shortages, of prices that are practically out of reach”.

The appeal continues to decry the impact of the economic stagnation:

“The near impossibility of living without engaging in something illegal makes the black market an indispensable ally for survival and an environment dominated by theft, bribery, and even blackmail.... The ‘every man for himself’ atmosphere, where anything goes, shows a corruption that permeates almost all social strata.”

Havana, Cuba. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

The economic situation is made even worse by the authoritarian nature of the state. This authoritarian characteristic of the state is manifested in by the constant spying on ordinary citizens by the government. This spying is all pervasive and reaches into the most personal aspects of people’s lives. People feel continuously harried and are on edge. Couples are often separated because of emigration. This has caused a moral decline. The appeal directly blames Cuba’s high abortion rate on the moral relativism and economic hardship resulting from governmental policies. The appeal laments that frequently:

“the announcement of a baby, which should be a cause for hope and joy, becomes the cause of uncertainty and worry, and ends in abortion”.

The appeal also turned its attention to the state’s monopoly on the legal system and affairs. There are no law firms or practices free from state control. This clearly is an issue when citizens attempt to fight for their rights from the government in the courts. The signatories of the appeal also call on Cuban citizens who have been forced to move abroad to be included in decision making in the country. The appeal finally ends in a denunciation of Cuba’s Communist-atheism and calls on the Cuban people to return to God:

“This people, many years ago, turned its back on God, and when a people turns its back on God, it cannot walk… We, as believers, consider that it is time, as a people, to return to God.”