Respect decision not to see pope in Cuba

Published Wednesday, November 12, 1997, in the Miami Herald

Respect decision not to see pope in Cuba

Herald staff writer John Lantigua's Nov. 4 article, Pilgrims' Cuba trip gets easier, quoted Nina Meyer, owner of Vision Travel, and Peter Coats of Catholic Charities. Both lack sensitivity for the feelings of Cuban Catholics who have decided not to take the cruise to Havana to see the pope.

Mr. Coats said that some Cubans are not going because they feel that they would suffer retaliation from those who disagree with this trip. Ms. Meyer indicated that ``there's a lot of pressure on some people in the Cuban community.'' Both ignore other committed Catholics -- also Cubans -- who oppose Cuba's communist government and can't ignore the lack of human rights in Cuba. Some of us are not going because in our youth the Catholic Church challenged us: Choose between Rome or Moscow.

Our not taking this trip does not imply that we oppose the pope's visit to Cuba. On the contrary, we pray that John Paul II will visit Cuba. This is not a miracle but rather the pope's right to visit his flock, and the Cuban people's right to receive and listen to the Vicar of Christ.

Unwillingness to participate in this trip does not imply a threat to those who plan to go. However, as we respect those who are taking this cruise, we demand a courteous attitude toward our dissenting opinion.

Antonio Fernandez
Miami