“Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it. Ezra 10:4”
As reported across the main stream media, Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger a.k.a Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba between 26 and 28 March. As expected counter-revolutionaries within Cuba, though negligible in both numbers and popularity, and right-wing reactionaries in Miami have tried to exploit this occasion for their miserable political agendas. We will never know whether the “dissidents” in Cuba hoped for a divine intervention backing them up in their actions during the papal visit to the island but all of their provocations have been an embarrassing flop.
The anti capitalist occupy movement that has swept capitalist countries has received international attention and press coverage so why not try it in socialist Cuba? With this idea on 13 March, 13 “dissidents” entered the interior of the Diocesan Sanctuary and Lesser Basilica of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad in Havana. 48 hours later, they were escorted out without force by unarmed Cuban policemen, following a request for intervention by Cardinal Jaime Ortega. Calling in the police was the last move taken by the church after its own efforts to convince the “occupiers” to leave the sacred place peacefully had not been successful. Genuine catholic worshippers who were not happy about missing the Wednesday and Thursday masses also had urged the activists to give up their occupation. The Cuban police took the “dissidents” to a police station then escorted them to their homes without charge. The counter-revolutionary elements do not face prosecution for their actions. Orlando Màrquez Hidalgo, the press spokesman of the archbishop, released a declaration stating “a crisis which should never have occurred was ended. The Church trusts that similar acts will not be repeated and that the harmony we all desire might truly be attained”
On Tuesday 13 March there were other incidents in other cities of Cuba including Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus and Holguin, where “dissidents” also entered churches in order to occupy. All ended their actions voluntarily on the same day except the one in Havana. The Catholic Church in Cuba distanced itself clearly from the occupations with the Archbishop of Havana stating “This is unlawful and irresponsible. All this is about a strategy prepared in advance and coordinated by groups in different regions of the country. This is not a coincidence but a well-thought-out action with the obvious aim to create inconvenient situations towards the visit of the Pope. No one has the right to turn the churches into political trenches”
The Cuban Republican Party (Partido Republicano de Cuba) has admitted organising these actions. This is a group which supports the US blockade on Cuba and accuses countries voting against the criminal and genocidal blockade of being ‘useful idiots of the Cuban government’. An article on their webpage commenting on the visit of Pope to Cuba states that the visit of Pope is ‘a disgrace’ as it ‘boosts communism’ on the island and gives legitimacy to the Cuban government, as if the Cubans and the Cuban government were in need of such legitimacy both internally and internationally. Yet, prior to the Papal visit, even the Vatican condemned the US blockade on Cuba with Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi stating that the Holy See considers how ‘the blockade makes people suffer and does not meet the goal of a greater good.’
The Ladies in White, a counter-revolutionary mini-group in Cuba directly funded by the Miami mafia and bodies of the US establishment also wanted to have their share in the market of protests against papal visit. On Sunday 18 March Ladies in White started their weekly march as usual. Yet they decided to stray from the agreed weekly route in order to continue towards the sea front. As the Cuban police did not want to risk provocation immediately before the visit of pope, the protestors were arrested; subsequently all arrested were released without any charge.
Both the church occupiers and the Ladies in White demanded a meeting with the pope Benedict XVI, stating they wanted to discuss human rights with the head of Vatican, the last state in Europe under absolutistic rule. The Catholic Church authorities responded stating a meeting with the dissidents was not in the Pope’s programme in Cuba. However, the Pope did meet at length with Raul Castro, the President of the Council of the State, then separately with Fidel Castro, the commander and chief of the revolution.
Of course the counter-revolutionary Cuban exiles were not idle either. They organized a protest “flotilla” which stopped 12.5 miles off the coast of Havana on Tuesday 27 March and proceeded to shoot fireworks for an hour which according to them was to symbolize the lights of liberty. Despite the call from Miami for a candlelit march along the Malecon (seafront) the Cuban people were busy welcoming the Pope and no march materialised.
All the counter-revolutionaries have acted with one aim: perpetuating an international media distortion about Cuba during the papal visit. The Cuban authorities dealt with the situation intelligently and the Papal visit passed without disruption. Even the previous declarations of the Pope that “Today it is evident that Marxist ideology in the way it was conceived no longer corresponds the reality [in Cuba]” could not damage the mood of the Cuban people preparing for his visit. Bruno Rodriguez, Cuban minister for foreign affairs, kindly answered this statement during a press conference on Friday 23 March by saying “We respect all opinions and consider the exchange of thoughts very useful.” Fully agreeing with Pope’s call for the freedom of conscience Rodriguez highlighted that “Since the beginning of the formation of the Cuban nation we have always fought for a free Cuba” emphasising that emancipation and freedom is of the highest values of Cuban culture and the Cuban people, occupying one of the most important components of the socialist project on the island. There is indeed a full freedom of conscience in Cuba and this freedom is guaranteed in the Cuban constitution. The Cuban state recognizes and respects the freedom of religion. Religious institutions are separate from the State allowing different religions to enjoy the same rights and consideration. Discrimination due to religious belief is forbidden and punished by law. Indeed some members of the Cuban Communist Party represent different religions. Demonstrating this point, the Papal visit was declared a fully paid public holiday enjoyed by religious and non religious Cubans alike.
True to form, the US financed groups in Miami; their corresponding counter-revolutionary elements in Cuba backed and propagated by the international capitalist press will continue to exploit any opportunity to discredit the Cuban revolution. Unfortunately for them, Cuban Socialism and internationalism continues to be a beacon of hope for the poor and oppressed around the world.