Zenit, December 24
Declarations of Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana
HAVANA, 24 dec (ZENIT)- "It has been a very special year for us: first the Pope's visit, which is summed up in one phrase, or rather one program: that Cuba open itself to the world, and that the world open itself to Cuba. Now this Christmas, which has been restored as a national holiday." Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, made these comments to the Italian newspaper "Avvenire" regarding the incredible year 1998 in the Caribbean island.
The Cardinal stressed the importance of this feast for Cubans. "For us, in the light of our history, it is a great event. Christmas has once again become institutional in Cuba. It is one sign that is added to others. This year, we have been able to hold various processions, and authorization has been granted through normal channels. Some towns, such as San Nicolás and Tapaste have celebrated their patron saints. People have taken up again their own traditions and the Church has acquired, in a certain sense, its habitual scope of action."
The Cardinal feels that the fruits of the Pope's visit are evident. "As the president of our Episcopal Conference recently said, relations between the Church and State had been 'formally' good, and now they have begun to be formally better. President Castro received the president of the Episcopal Conference and communicated to him, before announcing to the press, his decision to institutionalize Christmas. Permission has been granted for 43 priests and religious to enter the country, and among them are some Cubans who were forced into exile. Throughout this year, we have had other opportunities for meetings with civil authorities on various levels. The meetings have gone smoother, and we have been able to speak and present our demands and petitions."
"The Church in Cuba," adds the prelate in statements to "Avvenire," "does not seek a specific objective. It asks for the right to normally live its ecclesial life, as in any other modern lay state, one that does not help or hinder any religion and that doesn't promote atheism. Every step in this direction is positive, even though the road is still very long."
The Cardinal has a list of desires that are still unfulfilled. "For example, permission to build new churches," he mentioned. "Our priests celebrate in private houses, some large neighborhoods don't even have one church. In addition, there is the permission to have our own communications media. I would have liked to be able to publish a Christmas message, but I have not been able to."
A particularly difficult problem relates to educational institutions once run by the Church, which now belong to the State. "The Church has not reclaimed past property," affirms Cardinal Ortega, "with the exception of a few particular cases, such as some churches or parish halls dedicated to other uses. In some cases, we have acquired it. For us, it is not essential to reclaim old things; instead, we want to build for the future."
The secret of the Cuban Church is perhaps in the insuppressible force of the patience of those who believe in it. "Twenty years ago it was believed that human life could be reduced to purely economic factors. It was believed one could do without cultural, national and religious factors. This was a mistake, and the spiritual devastation of Eastern countries shows it. Today, the time has come to reaffirm the identity and culture of each people. And religion is obviously an essential component of our identity and culture. In a globalizing world that is increasing intercommunication, the challenge for every people consists in affirming that which is their own, and at the same time, discovering that which they have in common with others, so that the unity of the world isn't just economic. Now is the time to correct the mistakes of the recent past."
ZE98122406
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