As Cuba prepares for a massive anti-government protest amid fears of state repression, the country’s bishops have urged calm and non-violence, saying any meaningful change will only come as a result of peaceful dialogue.
Cuba
Controversy Surrounds Flag Confiscation in St. Peter’s Square
Many were shocked on Sunday when the Vatican police forced a group of 15 Cuban demonstrators to put down their Cuban flags at the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. Although political manifestations have always been banned at the event, pilgrims often bring flags, hoping Pope Francis will make mention of their country.
Cuban Crisis: New Song in Havana
Cuba’s ongoing political and social upheaval has shocked many observers as a sudden and intense summer storm. Across the island, in small towns and provincial centers, protests erupted like a squall line until reaching the capital Havana. Tropical storm “Liberdad” was lashing the island of Cuba while its winds of freedom were blowing across the Florida Straits, triggering major pro-democracy demonstrations in Miami and elsewhere.
Cuban Exiles in Miami Gather at Their Shrine to Pray for Homeland
With that faith and more hope, Cuban exiles gathered July 13 for Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami to pray for freedom in their homeland, two days after unusual and unexpected protests broke out in different cities on the island.
Cuban American Bishops Express Solidarity, Call for Humanitarian Aid
Four Cuban American bishops called on the international community to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Cuba and expressed solidarity with them following protests that erupted on the island nation starting July 11.
Clergy Pray For Reconciliation In Cuba: They’re ‘Starving for Freedom’
When Bishop Octavio Cisneros considers the situation in his native Cuba six decades after he fled the communist nation, he’s sad to see an unimproved situation and people living in dire conditions that are getting worse.
U.S. Cardinal Sends Needed Gift to Nuns in Havana: A Host-Making Machine
In February 2020, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan embarked on a trip to Cuba at the invitation of the island-nation’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, causing a sensation in Havana. But it was a group of cloistered nuns in the island’s capital who captured the attention of Cuba’s noted guest, the cardinal archbishop of New York.
Marian Feast Becomes a Political Football in Cuba
The Church in Cuba is warning against politicizing religious festivals after events surrounding the Feast of Our Lady of El Cobre (Our Lady of Charity), the patroness of the island.
Cuban Cardinal, Dead at 83, Was a Truly Remarkable Churchman
Born in 1936, Ortega was ordained in 1964, while the Second Vatican Council was still underway and just five years after Fidel Castro had swept to power.
World’s Top High Jumper Has Low-Profile Meeting with Pope
Despite holding the world record in the high jump, Javier Sotomayor kept his feet on the ground and didn’t try to clear the waist-high wooden barricade between him and Pope Francis.