OUR VOICE IS A CALL TO DIALOGUE Interview with Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of Havana Google translation. Revised by Walter Lippmann Photo: File P.N. To anyone paying attention to what is happening in Cuba today, whether Cuban or foreign, it is clear that we are experiencing one of the most unique moments in our history. However much we insist on the contrary, there are inaccuracies in the surrounding economic, political, cultural and even religious condition of national life. To this should be added the place of the Church in the midst of Cuban society: while some say it says too much, others think that says too little. In this interview with Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Palabra Nueva offers not only timely approach of our archbishop and pastor in relation to the moment we live, but his word is repeated, once again, the Church's call to dialogue and reconciliation among all Cubans. Orlando Marquez New Word: Your Eminence, recently the national media gave wide publicity to a meeting that was attended by pastors and leaders of virtually all religious denominations present in Cuba with President Raul Castro, Mrs. Caridad Diego, head of the Office Religious Affairs, other senior Cuban officials and the Brazilian Dominican friar Frei Betto. But there were no bishops or representatives of the Catholic Church in Cuba at this meeting. This has generated many doubts or questions about the Church's position regarding the Cuban government. Why should the absence of the Catholic Church in these events? Cardinal Jaime Ortega received the invitation for this event as auxiliary bishops like me and other members of the clergy and certain religious, but declined to attend because it is a commemoration of two events not directly related to the Catholic Church. One is the anniversary of a meeting held by President Fidel Castro last twenty years with the Cuba Council of Churches, which does not belong to the Catholic Church. The other fact commemorated together in Cuba was the publication of the book "Fidel and Religion" Frei Betto, who did not directly implicate us we as a Church, although this book contains a number of successful responses Fidel that have value even today, with outstanding issues regarding church-state relations, as are various aspects of Catholic education. But we do not warrant a call this commemoration as broad of various religious faiths, representatives from syncretic cults, spiritualists and even leaders of Freemasonry, the latter is not a religion. I think the only thing they have in common these religious manifestations, animists and other associations, is being treated all the same Office of Religious Affairs of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Cuba. But this office, which provides services to various religious groups, para-or association in Cuba, not a kind of governing body that meets with the same end, the various groups to be subordinated. PN: At that same meeting was evoked the words of former President Fidel Castro in an interview with Frei Betto twenty years ago and described in the book you mentioned, specifically its call for a "strategic alliance" between Christians and Marxists to deal Latin America's ills. But now the "strategic alliance" would be a permanent alliance between Cuban Christians and the authorities in Cuba to work, he said, for the good of society. As the Church was not in that game, what response to that invitation to establish a definitive strategic alliance with the government for the good of society? Cjo: Indeed, at that time there was talk of a strategic alliance with the Cuban state and overlooking the good of the people, by the various groups gathered there. I have never accepted these terms to see the actual action of the Church in society and its relations with the powers of the State, because they have military or political resonances that did not conform to develop the relations of Church and State, as the possibility of act in society, to serve men and women living in our country, not dependent on an explicit or implicit social compact of Church and State. The action of the Church in society belongs to the order of the rights and the right to religious freedom is clearly recognized in the Constitution in force in Cuba. It is within the constitutional framework itself, as its identity and their own way of proceeding, that the Catholic Church in Cuba mission deployed towards the common good. In pursuit of the common good can the Church match official or private institutions, with international aid agencies, etc., Which assist the general welfare of the Cuban nation, but either vertically or horizontally through the action of the Church is founded on a partnership but springs from the right of the church body to present the love of Jesus Christ in the world today according to their own mission. PN: When the Church speaks of the common good, also speaks of a series of favorable conditions for the full development of the person living in society. In the difficult conditions facing the country today, how the church can help in finding the common good for society? Cjo: Our country is in a very difficult situation, probably the most difficult we have experienced in the twenty-first century. At the press of Cuba are all kinds of opinions on how to find solutions for economic and social difficulties of the moment. Many talk of socialism and its limitations, some propose a reformed socialism, others refer to specific changes that must be done, to leave behind the old Stalinist-type bureaucratic state, others talk about the indolence of the workers, the low productivity, etc. But there is a fundamental common denominator in almost all discussants: in Cuba are made necessary changes promptly to remedy the situation. I believe that this opinion reaches a kind of national consensus and its postponement produces impatience and uneasiness among the people. The difficulties of the international financial and economic crisis made its appearance just at the time that three hurricanes affecting Cuba, leaving numerous losses. Both these new realities, such as semicentenario and blockade by the United States, in addition to the perennial economic problems of Cuba from the limitations of the kind of socialism practiced here and sometimes create a situation grim PN: Excuse me ... Do you think really that the conflict with the United States mark a determining the life of Cubans? Cjo: I think a Cuba-US dialogue is the first step needed to break the cycle that we are critical. At the beginning of his administration President Raul Castro suggested the United States this dialogue without conditions and on all issues, including human rights, and has repeated his proposal in more than one occasion. In his presidential political campaign, Barack Obama also said he would change the style to use and seek above all to talk directly to Cuba. In those moments expectations grew possible meeting between the two countries. However, after coming to power, the new American president has repeated the old pattern of previous governments: if Cuba makes changes regarding human rights, then the United States lifted the blockade and open up space for further dialogue. While important steps were taken to modify some counter-measures imposed by the previous government, will eventually alter the pre-election proposal. Once again the old politics prevailed start by the end. I am convinced that it must first be found, talk and dialogue in advancing the steps would be difficult situations to improve or overcome the most critical. This is the civilized way of dealing with any conflict. PN: In recent weeks the situation has worsened conflict, specifically from the death of the prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo due to a hunger strike. At least one Cuban citizen has joined this kind of protest, the wives and mothers of political prisoners are manifested by their loved ones, to which the Cuban government responds with firmness ... All of this further thinning the environment. Is it possible a dialogue in these conditions? Cjo: The tragic event of the death of a prisoner hunger strike has resulted in a verbal war of the media in the United States, Spain and others. This strong media campaign contributes to further exacerbate the crisis. It is a form of media violence to which the Cuban government responds in their own way. In the midst of this, what can the Church do for the common good? Certainly his mission prevented him simply join one of the two warring parties, political purposes of destabilization on the one hand, and the consequent retrenchment of another defensive. What belongs to us as Church is to invite all the sanity and wisdom in order to pacify the spirits. We know that a call to peace is historically irrelevant in the midst of war. But the call that the Church has always repeated in every time and in any conflict. Pope Paul VI has coined a phrase that here all its validity: "Dialogue is the new name of peace." Because amid the crossfire of words and arguments is concerned the people, tired and anxious to a present and a more peaceful and prosperous future. If our voice was heard, necessarily would have contained a call for dialogue. This call did the bishops of Cuba in our note lamenting the tragic death of Orlando Zapata, in which we asked "on the authorities to have in their hands the lives and health of prisoners, to take appropriate measures to situations as they are not repeated and at the same time, create conditions for dialogue and understanding appropriate to prevent such painful situations reaches that do not benefit anyone and cause suffering to many. " This provision conciliatory, although it seems to show fails, repeat is the same as in the case of Guillermo Fariñas, the other Cuban citizen who has joined this mode of protest, asking him to abandon the hunger strike. PN: In this action-reaction environment, we have seen increased among us the answers to some form of violence against those in Cuba expressed its disagreement or claims, specifically in the highly publicized case of the Damas de Blanco. What do you think of this? C.J.O.: This is no time to stir the passions. So painful are acts of repudiation to mothers and wives of several prisoners, which are now joined another group of women, all known as the Ladies in White. After the painful acts of repudiation that occurred during the exodus from Mariel in 1980, thought that they would not return more to our national history. At that time, the bishops we interviewed a senior government official who, following our consideration of these acts, he said, "You can go quiet, these acts must be completed and will be very soon." Indeed, acts of repudiation disappeared shortly after at the time. But we saw with surprise that some time after these actions began to appear again on the national scene, and among Cubans in South Florida compared to other Cuban diverse thinking, and artists from Cuba, etc. There should be in our history as a people such verbal intolerance and even physical, as a feature of the Cuban. In fact they are always few who staged these events that do not indicate the feeling of the majority. P.N.: Returning to the political prisoners. I remember that following the arrests and summary trials of 2003, both the Vatican and the Cuban bishops asked the authorities for significant gesture of clemency, for humanitarian gestures with individuals who had received long sentences and were sent far from their homes. Do you continue to the Church expressing their interest in these people? Is there anything new about it? Cjo: With respect to prisoners for political reasons, the Church has historically done everything possible to be released, not only patients but also others. With the participation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the United States in the 80s out of jail a good group of prisoners, together with their closest relatives left for the United States. Taken together, prisoners and their families, were more than several thousand flights paid for by the American bishops came out of Cuba. Only those who had high blood crimes did not receive visas to the United States or other countries. At the request of Pope John Paul II during his visit to Cuba, also a good number of prisoners was released and migrated few received visas from various countries, with the same reservations about serious crimes by recipient countries. This is what the Church always does with the prisoners and all persons concerned in relation to them, as are their families. The same is done with respect to the five Cubans imprisoned in the United States at the request of his family, making arrangements, so far unsuccessful, so that at least two of the wives who for nearly ten years since they see their husbands to visit them. With respect to anyone who is in deplorable situations without analyzing the causes or grounds for conviction, the mission of the Church is always understanding and compassion, working discreetly but effectively to the situation of those people affected be overcome for the good of themselves and of their own, although not always achieve the desired results. In sum, in this difficult time, the church in Cuba calls for prayer and action for all believers to love, reconciliation and forgiveness make way among all Cubans here and elsewhere. |
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