The priest Alberto Reyes criticized the Lack of religious freedom in Cuba and shown with several examples how this right is violated in the country.
“I have many dreams that stretch me from my present to the future: I dream of a country where there is political plurality, a healthy economy, freedom of speech, social discipline but no oppression … and I dream of a country where there is freedom of religionwhich is not reduced to believers being able to meet in our temples to worship the God who brings us together,” wrote the priest on his Facebook profile.
One of the main examples of the lack of religious freedom that the Cuban priest cites is the existence of a department in the government and the party that controls the practice of the faith, monitors every movement of the church and harasses those who say or do such things that care
Reyes questioned the churches’ lack of access to media and study programs, including the ability to start their own schools for those who want this type of education. He also misses the fact that religious institutions have access to the Cuban health system and thus “offer the population more alternatives to health care”.
“If there were freedom of religion in my country, we wouldn’t have to rely on permits to publicly manifest our faith, and we could plan and convene public masses, processions, Stations of the Cross, Christmas parades… very close to the authorities about the use of public spaces.” inform,” he muses.
Another point of reflection of the priest Alberto Reyes It is the impossibility of churches in Cuba to construct new buildings where parishioners can meet or to repair those that have deteriorated over the years. He criticized that there are so many bureaucratic processes that can take years to obtain the necessary licenses.
“If there were freedom of religion in my country Temples deemed “illegal” would not be demolishedthat were made without the proper permits because those permits never arrived,” he said.
Reyes singled out the government for harassing religious people who did not consider themselves revolutionary or associated with the church Opinions that differ from those of official discourse.
“If there were freedom of religion in my country, Priests, religious and lay people would not be accused or denigrated who, moved by their faith, raise their voices, exercising their baptismal identity as prophets, to denounce social injustices and seek to accompany those who are victims of these injustices. In short, all of this would be possible if there were freedom of religion in my country…but there isn’t,” he concluded.
Although the current constitution recognizes that Cuba is a secular state that respects and guarantees freedom of religion, in practice the same happens with other rights that They are being violated in the name of the supreme power of the Communist Party.
The United States Religious Liberty Commission has consulted 56 Cuban religious leaders, 21 of whom confirmed this suffer oppressionwith threats, violence, arrests and acts of rejection.
in September of this year, the government expelled the priest David PantaleonSuperior of the Jesuits in Cuba by refusing to extend his residence permit.
Pantaleon was one of the voices raised for San Isidro Barracks during his hunger strike in late 2020.
In early December, the United States added Cuba to the list Countries that tolerate serious violations of religious freedomalong with nations like Nicaragua, China, Eritrea, Iran, Burma, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.