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The Cubans: Believers Without Dogma

Marta Rojas

The Holy Father, head of the Roman Catholic Church and Head of State of the Vatican, visits Cuba at a crucial time. Cuba, the first and only socialist nation in the Western Hemisphere, is experiencing serious economic difficulties and has a powerful enemy just a few dozen miles away.

But this is not about Cuba-U.S. politics, it is about the meaning of religion for Cubans.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus' three ships (the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria) arrived at what is now the northern part of the eastern provinces of Cuba. Looking toward land, Columbus wrote in his logbook: "Esta es la tierra más hermosa que ojos humanos vieran." (This is the most beautiful land that human eyes might ever see.)

He continued his trip and arrived at Baracoa, where his crew erected a cross, as was customary. Although he was the representative of the Catholic rulers of Spain (Fernando and Isabel), he did not found a church. He thought he was in an Asian empire where he would find abundant gold. But after exploring the territory his men returned only with an aromatic herb that they had seen the "Indians" smoke. They had discovered tobacco and started to smoke it themselves.

It was only on Columbus' second voyage in 1494 that he ordered the construction of a building to house the government and also erect a tall column with another cross nailed to it. For Columbus and his crew, this second construction was the first Church, the House of God opened in Cuba. The place was Maisí, in Baracoa, at the easternmost tip of Cuba.

The history of Hatuey
Several years went by before the conquest and colonization of Cuba was started and the process of Christian evangelization by the Catholic Church began, first with the aboriginal Indians. The majority of the aborigines accepted baptism without knowing what it meant. The conquest was brutal. The natives of the island resisted the maltreatment and rebelled, led by the cacique (chief) Hatuey, who was taken prisoner and condemned to die, then burned alive at the stake. The Court of the Holy Inquisition was at the height of its power against heretics at that time, in the Spanish kingdom.

The aborigines of Cuba were believers. Their religious symbol was the cemi, a fetish that was endowed with consciousness and a magical life. The idol that protected also punished harshly, demanding the performance of very primitive rites. It was not a spirit of goodness but a vengeful and cruel spirit. For the Cuban natives, (Taínos or Siboneyes), the stones, the wood, the water, etc., had life. For that reason the symbol of the cemi fetish could be made of wood or stone, in a human or animal form.

The cemi belief would not have a long life. The natives were ruthlessly annihilated by the conquerors through overwork, rebellion, and the illnesses that the Spaniards transmitted to them, and also through collective suicide. They did not become Christians just because they were baptized. However, the mestizos—offspring of Spaniards and aborigine women—were forced to adopt their fathers' religion.

Father Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, who traveled with the conquerors, was horrified by the cruelty imposed upon the aborigines, pleaded for the introduction of African slaves to work at the harshest tasks. (There were Africans in Spain, but the majority of them worked as free men—some Africans even came to the American continent as part of the army of the conquest.) Thus a recommendation by Father Bartolomé de las Casas began the enslavement of the Africans, who from that moment on would be identified as negros (blacks), regardless of which African nation or culture they belonged to.

The evangelization of Africans
Accordingly, 31 years after the "discovery period"—1492-1593—the first lot of 300 Africans arrived in Cuba as slaves. The "ethical" justification of the Kingdom of Spain and of the Catholic Church for bringing slaves to the New World was that these men and women, supposedly savages, were going to be evangelized, converted into Christians. They were going to increase the number of Catholics.

The African slaves, however, continued to worship their gods, gods that have "flesh and bone," such as those of the Greek pantheon—Venus, goddess of love; Minerva, of the waters; Vulcan, of fire; Athena, armed with a weapon. In the same way, St. Barbara, or Changó in syncretism, carries a sword. Ochún would be the equivalent of Venus, and Yemayá, or the Virgin of Regla, would be the owner of the sea.

The conquerors had to choose to tolerate the ancestral beliefs of the Africans or annihilate their new slaves. The black slaves had cost money so they were not sacrificed as the aborigines had been. Tolerance prevailed. However, slowly the African slaves adapted themselves to the new customs and beliefs of their masters, incorporating them into their own. They gave power to the Catholic virgins and saints. Religious syncretism developed in a rich and unexpected way.

Part of the national culture
This medley of the two religions, with its many variations, can be found today among black, mestizo, and white Cubans. It is an indissoluble part of the national culture and is expressed not only in religion but also in music, visual arts, literature, and other manifestations of Cuban culture.

In the countryside there were usually no Catholic churches, so this syncretic religion was most widely practiced by the rural masses. From the beginning of slavery, the churches had responded to the powerful and white classes. And the truth is that the rebellions against Spanish colonialism were mainly nourished by certain groups of white men, learned and liberal, who, like Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, freed their slaves in 1868 and fought with them for independence. The Virgin of Charity (Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre) was venerated during the wars, and when Cuba was freed from Spain, the veterans of the wars of independence asked the pope that she be consecrated as Cuba's patron saint.

Some characteristics of the syncretic saints
The saints, observed in their syncretic equivalents, are identified with representative colors as well as precious stones and symbols. This is the case with the Virgin of Charity, who uses a symbolic yellow band in her dress. Those who believe in her, in her representation as Ochún, place a receptacle near her that must contain U.S. pennies (because they are made with copper). She is the owner of money, of coral, and of love. She uses necklaces of pink coral, and her day, when she is revered by both Catholics and syncretic believers, is September 8.

St. Lazarus (Baba-lo Ayé), whose color is white, wears rustic clothing, an ordinary garment or mantle made of jute fibers. He also carries a sack. For those who believe in him, his faith cures or alleviates the most critical diseases, especially those of the skin. His national sanctuary is in La Habana province, in the town of Rincón, near an old leprosy hospital. His day is December 17. Last December 17, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, offered a well-attended mass presided over by the image of St. Lazarus, that is, Baba-lo Ayé.

In this way the saints and virgins and God of the Catholic religion are inextricably linked with the saints and orishas of religious syncretism. For some, even St. Peter may be identified with a strong deity like  Eleguá, who opens and closes the path of men in their life on this earth.

Great events without fanaticism
In Cuba's history, from the time of Columbus until the end of the 20th century, there has been no fanatic movement or  dogmatic religion but profound respect for all believers and their beliefs. Not even in the period of the closest ties with the socialist countries of Europe and the Soviet Union—in which the study of Marxism, Leninism, and materialism was a profound and daily exercise—did Cubans stop believing in "something" spiritual and unknown, without abandoning their revolutionary feelings. This is true of the vast majority of the population. Thus the pope's visit is inscribed among the popular events of greatest importance in Cuba's history.

The IV Congress of the Cuban Communist Party opened the party to religious people of any denomination, including Catholics. Party members may baptize their children and marry in a Catholic church. A Catholic priest, Father Sardiñas, was part of the Rebel Army in the Sierra Maestra and died while still a priest. He used to wear an olive green cassock.

President Castro pointed out in December 1997, at the National Assembly of People's Power that, contrary to other revolutions, the Mexican, the Russian, the French, even that of the Spanish Republic, the Cuban Revolution committed no act of violence against religious people. There is no known case of a priest assassinated in Cuba, as has happened in Central America and other countries of the region and the world.  

Conflicts with the Church
This is not to say, however, that there has never been any tension between the revolutionary government and the Catholic church. In the early years after the success of the revolution, there was conflict with the Church. In the period prior to the revolution, relations between the rebel forces and the Church were generally, but not entirely, harmonious. The difficulties, as President Castro said when addressing the Cuban parliament just before the papal visit, were never about "belief" or "faith." They arose only because a number of Catholics, especially many church leaders of Spanish nationality, were counter-revolutionary.

Fidel became an important historical figure on July 26, 1953 when Fort Moncada in Santiago de Cuba was attacked. At that time, despite his strong feelings about social justice and a fair knowledge of Marxism, Castro was not a Marxist. He was to declare himself a Marxist only in 1962, two years after the revolutionary victory. In 1953 he was part of the most radical section of the non-Marxist Partido del Pueblo Cubano (Ortódoxo).

The good training of his young companions and the heroism of Abel Santamaria, who covered his retreat, made possible the "miracle" that Fidel was still alive after the armed assault on the fortress. Immediately he put together a group of other survivors and retreated to the mountains of Santiago for a week. Almost one thousand soldiers and officers searched for him and his escaped companions.

In that same week, the Church spoke out against the crimes being committed at the Moncada garrison against the prisoners and tried to protect the lives of Fidel and his comrades. The mother of the young revolutionary leader, Sra. Lina Ruz, a fervent believer in the Virgin of Charity, was vital in having the Church intercede to stop the butchering of prisoners. Sra. Mirtha Díaz Balart, wife of a young lawyer, also interceded. Finally, Monseigneur Pérez Serantes personally tried to tame somewhat the military, commanded by Colonel Alberto del Rio Chaviano, brother-in-law of the head of the Army, and General Tabernilla—one of Batista's most trusted men and a participant in the 1952 coup d'etat.

A commission presided by Monseigneur Pérez Serantes went in search of the revolutionaries to protect their lives, under the mantle of his Archbishop's cassock and the Cross. He went to the area where Fidel, exhausted after a week of almost superhuman resistance, was hiding. There were other young men in worse condition than Fidel. The radio had announced Pérez Serantes' mediation, and Fidel Castro made sure that those of his comrades in the worst condition received the protection of this mission of mercy of the Church: they presented themselves to Pérez Serantes, who saved their lives.

But Fidel did not present himself. A short time later a modest lieutenant discovered the hut in which Fidel and his three companions had sheltered themselves and had fallen asleep because of their enormous thirst and hunger. The lieutenant, Pedro Sarría Tartabull, knew Fidel by sight—he had also studied at the University of Havana Law School. Fidel was very lucky that Lieutenant Sarría of the Moncada garrison was no assassin.

It was Sarría, then, and not the Archbishop Pérez Serantes, who really saved Fidel's life. But the press that week published interviews, reports, and stories in which the mediation of the Church and Pérez Serantes appeared as the saviors of Fidel Castro.

Fidel was not happy to be indebted to Archbishop Pérez Serantes, who had written a letter (July 20, 1953) to Colonel Chaviano—already called "the jackal" because of his  many crimes—in which the Archbishop addressed him as a friend.

The letter began: "Very distinguished friend" and congratulated Chaviano "once more because of your noble and Christian feelings, a trait characteristic of a highly honorable military, who honors and glorifies the Army (. . .) your friend and prelate who blesses you." By the time this letter was written and published in the newspapers Chaviano had ordered dozens of young revolutionary prisoners tortured and assassinated.

Relations with the nuns. The Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.
In the prison of Isla de Pinos where Fidel was taken with the rest of his surviving comrades from the Moncada, relations with the nuns who visited the jail were very good. For awhile the original manuscripts of History Will Absolve Me were kept in a convent by one of Fidel's sisters.

The priest who attended the prisoners at the Presidio gave spiritual assistance to any of the Moncada group who desired it. And it is known that President Fidel Castro has always publicly praised the work of the nuns who work at the side of the ill, the elderly and the disabled as an example of abnegation and sacrifice.

It is also known that besides Father Sardiña's presence in the Sierra Maestra, some priests—although very few—gave aid to the underground 26th of July Movement.

In 1959, traveling in the presidential plane "Sierra Maestra" for an unusual visit to Havana during a Catholic congress being held there, Fidel's mother, Sra. Lina Ruz, brought the statue of the Virgin of Charity from El Cobre Sanctuary in Santiago de Cuba. With the Virgin presiding and with the unqualified backing of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, a Mass of gratitude was celebrated in the Plaza de la Revolución, giving thanks to the Virgin for having saved the life of Sra. Ruz's sons while they were fighting in the Sierra Maestra. The statue is of course the same one that was personally crowned by His Holiness John Paul II during his visit to Santiago de Cuba on January 24.

The First Disagreements
Soon after 1959, strong disagreements became public. Until then, the Church had continued to be fundamentally the Church of the wealthy, as in the 19th century. Also, many priests gave protection to the economically powerful, many of them privileged people allied with the tyrannical Batista government. That economic hierarchy had a newspaper at its service, the Diario de la Marina. People often said that "The Diario de la Marina is the only evil in Cuba that has lasted more than 100 years." (Said because of a Hispanic proverb that says: "There is no evil that would last for 100 years nor body that would resist it.") That newspaper, the semi-official voice of the rich clergy, had celebrated the death of the heroes of the war against Spanish colonialism in the last century, and had been sympathetic toward fascism during World War II.

Soon the counterrevolutionary elements joined together in Miami and the confrontation with the Cuban Revolution began. The representatives of the Catholic Church—most of them foreigners, especially Spaniards—were mostly on the side of the counterrevolutionaries. It was well known that Cardinal Arteaga had very close links with the highest ranks of the Batista tyranny and that two nephews of his had businesses that were adversely affected by more than one of the revolutionary laws, especially those regarding real estate.

The situation rapidly deteriorated, with the U.S.' aggressive policy toward Cuba. The decade of the sixties was the worst regarding relations with the Church.

"Operation Peter Pan"
One of the most traumatic and dramatic events was the organization of "Operation Peter Pan," put together by representatives of the Catholic Clergy in the U.S. and Cuba, together with counter-revolutionary Cuban exiles. The objective of this operation was to convince people that Fidel's revolution was going to "take control" of their children, and that they would lose their parental rights. The propaganda even included the absurdity that the Cuban communists, satellites of the Soviet Union, would send Cuban children to Russia to be processed like canned beef! As a result, hundreds of children were taken out of Cuba in different ways. The official documents with respect to this are now being declassified by the U.S. government. (In 1995 Cuban filmmakers produced a documentary—"El otro lado del cristal" ("The Other Side of the Glass") that included interviews with several women who had been taken to the U.S. during that operation.

It was this operation that separated children from their parents, not the Cuban Revolution, and this happened with the direct aid of the Catholic Church and Catholic women's associations.

Besides this, representatives of the Catholic Church participated in counterrevolutionary conspiracies organized by the CIA. Some of these people were taken to trial and condemned, but they were given very light sentences. Fortunately, Monseigneur Zacchi, the Apostolic Nuncio, helped to change the situation. He was a Nuncio of great intellectual capacity and he did everything that he considered prudent to dissuade ecclesiastical representatives from conspiracies and counterrevolutionary actions. The majority of those priests were exiled from Cuba at the request of the revolutionary government, and the political climate changed.

When the Bay of Pigs invasion took place, Cardinal Arteaga asked for political asylum at the home of the Argentine ambassador. (When Argentina broke diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1962, the chargé d'affaires of the Holy See suggested to this elderly ambassador that he should remain in Cuba, where he spent the last years of his life.)

President Castro talked about those first years in the interview with Frei Betto, a Brazilian priest of the Dominican order, which was published under the title Fidel and Religion.

In 1965, when the Communist Party of Cuba was organized, with its Central Committee, it was announced that religious beliefs were not compatible with Communist militancy. Although this may have made sense from a materialist philosophical perspective, traditions in Cuban society were different. The Communists acknowledged this, and the declaration was abolished in a later party congress. It had been clearly demonstrated that, while few Cubans are actively religious, most were deeply spiritual. But it cannot be denied that the party's extreme position offended many people.

Relations with the Vatican
Notwithstanding the years of crisis between the representatives of the Catholic Church and the revolutionary government, the Cuban state never broke relations with the Vatican and with the pope, who headed the Church from the throne of St. Peter in Rome. At no time or place in the country were churches closed, and nuns continued their mission of mercy in their convents, hospitals, and homes for the elderly. The Central Committee of the Party has a department to maintain relations with churches and representatives of different religions. When it was first organized, it was led by an old Communist from the original pre-revolutionary party, Dr. Felipe Carneado.

One of the oldest and most valuable members of the 26th of July Movement, Pastorita Nuñez, a woman whose name is associated with the best housing projects carried out by the revolution, entered a home for the elderly (Santovenia), adjoined to a Catholic convent, after she retired. There she became an active and creative worker. Her collaboration with the nuns is extraordinary, especially her help with the vegetable gardens in the areas of the convent. The nuns appreciate her work very much. Many Cuban leaders visit her and collaborate with her work.

Fidel Castro and the pope's visit
Before the arrival of the pope, President Fidel Castro reminded Cubans that in 1971 he met in Chile with Catholic priests in an open dialogue about social justice, and similarly in Jamaica. When he was a boy, Castro studied in religious school with LaSalle and Jesuit priests until he entered the university.

He also mentioned that the Cuban people would be the best security for the safety of the pope, and that the revolution has always deemed necessary a constructive relationship with the Catholic church.

He declared it absurd to oppose the revolution to the  religious feelings of the people, and said that it was necessary to respect all religions. He talked about the positive relationship of respect and understanding that was established in Rome between himself and the Holy Father when he visited the Holy See during his attendance at the FAO summit.

A message from John Paul II to the Cuban people was published in Granma on December 20, 1997, and then reproduced in other newspapers and on television, and read on radio. In this message the pope said, "Dear Cubans: When the moment to kiss your land is near, my call is directed to all, without distinction of creed, ideology, race, political opinion or economic situation. I wish that my word would reach those who have the serious responsibility of directing the destiny of the nation, as well as to the most humble citizens, wishing to each one prosperity, happiness and peace."