Soul Searching: The Catholic Church and Human Rights in Cuba

Last month’s visit of the Holy See’s foreign minister, Monsignor Dominique Mamberti, to Cuba highlighted the historically uneasy relationship between the Cuban government and the nation’s Catholic Church. However, it should be recognised that overall, relations between Havana and the Church have been continuously improving, creating opportunities for some political dissidents held in Cuba to gain their freedom and have a greater opportunity to come forth with ideas that are counter to those preached by the Cuban government.

A Troubled Past

According to a 2005 BBC report, 56% of Cubans identify themselves as Catholic, which although a majority of the population, is modest in comparison to other countries in the region (Mexico 89%, Brazil 85%). In pre-revolutionary Cuba, the Church was seen by island nationalists as an elitist foreign institution, the remnants of Spanish colonialism. Cuban authorities treated the church with chilly contempt in the years following the 1959 revolution, and Fidel Castro formally declared Cuba to be an atheist nation. The new government banned members of religious organizations from joining the Communist Party; 80% of priests residing on the island ultimately left the country and hundreds of religious schools were closed. For the general public, belonging to a religious group was a risky affiliation.

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