Book Review The Church and Cuba
RELIGION IN CUBA TODAY: A NEW CHURCH IN A NEW SOCIETY. Edited by Alice L. Hageman and Philip E. Wheaton. 317 pages. Association Press. New York. 1971. North Americans have been led to believe...
...The central article by Aldo Buntig, an Argentine priest and sociologist, when supplemented by Alice Hageman's introductory remarks, comprises a rather complete view of the historical relations between Church and Revolution...
...This collection of essays, interviews, and letters shows how the generally counter-Revolutionary or at best isolationist position of the churches before 1968 has now begun to change to active cooperation with the Revolutionary government...
...On April 10, 1969, the Catholic Church presented a "Communique" which denounced the U.S...
...food) vital to its religious life...
...These letters opened the new relation between the Catholic Church and the Revolution.31 Among other things, these writings indicate the drastic changes that churches have undergone...
...blockade and for respect of atheism...
...Mediation and a less provocative stance of the churches eased tensions...
...It includes articles by two very prominent members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, an interview with students and professors from Matanzas Seminary, and letters from one of the eight North American missionaries who remained in Cuba...
...In 1968, a significant change occurred...
...Many priests and laymen fled or longed for "freedom" in the United States...
...Part II presents historical material...
...Cuban clergy who had gone to the Latin American bishop's conference in Medellin returned with a new understanding of the causes of underdevelopment...
...In addition, a dozen priests joined in harvesting the sugar cane crop and in 1970, the faculty and student body of the Protestant Matanzas Seminary joined other Christians in the zafra (harvest...
...One major flare-up occurred in 1965 when it was proven that a Cuban priest, who had just returned from Miami, was collaborating with the CIA...
...To continue on such a path the entire church membership, in addition to the powerful leadership, will have to undergo change...
...Part IV consists of declarations by Church bodies in Cuba...
...They further criticize the missionaries for living a privileged life while building pro-U.S, attitudes and constructing an "economic, theological, and ideological dependency...
...An article by Rabbi Gendler from Massachusetts describes the life of the Havana Jewish community and communicates its praise of the government for providing special services (e.g...
...The editors present this material in fur sections...
...dollars to finance their programs and on 'the American way of life' to provide an identity" (p...
...1, 1959 opened a new phase...
...With the Bay of Pigs defeat and the capture of three Spanish priests who had participated, this form of direct opposition virtually ceased...
...This judgement rests upon the fact that most of the influential clergy and the Student Christian Movement groups are working for this partnership...
...Many Christians left Cuba for a materially comfortable life...
...Part I is a series of interviews and essays that reflect the new cooperative view of some religious leaders...
...As Castro talked about the Revolution forming a "New Man" and the joint role of "Marxists and honest Christians" in the revolutionary struggle, religious leaders began to move toward a position of cooperation...
...As elsewhere in Latin America, the transformation process in Cuba is in its early stages, and this book presents a hopeful sign of its continued growth...
...Since the Revolution, the Catholic population has dropped from four to less than one million...
...Gordon Greathouse...
...The period's most significant crisis arose on May 1, 1961 when Castro declared Cuba a socialist state and nationalized all Catholic schools...
...missionary era complete this picture...
...Catholics organized an illegal demonstration that resulted in the expulsion of 135 Cuban and Spanish priests...
...These writings show Cuban Christians struggling to make Christianity a relevant and integral part of Cuban life, They are attempting to create a new and indigenous theological understanding that does not rest in abstract language...
...The Church in Latin America has begun to move from its traditional role of supporting the status quo through emphasis on individual conversion and belief in doctrine, towards a growing concern for social transformation...
...The change from opponent to co-worker has involved liberation from U.S...
...It further indicates that many of the influential and creative religious leaders are working to build a new theological understanding of Christianity that actively participates with the Cuban government...
...This book presents a favorable prospectus for the growing cooperation with the Revolution...
...Sections from Castro's speeches and articles by religious leaders on the U.S...
...It includes the two Catholic Pastoral letters that called for an end to the U.S...
...148...
...blockade of Cuba and called on Christians to express their faith in terms of social concern and work...
...The central themes are: 1) theology of revolution, 2) the role of the Church in a socialist society and 3) the biblical meaning of work...
...The religious leaders attack the missionaries for creating churches that mirrored North American religious life and thus denied Cuban needs...
...others left the churches to work for the revolutionary humanitarian goals...
...The Protestant membership has fallen from 250,000 to about 50,000...
...The Revolution's triumph on Jan...
...Some people will rebel against this process, but as this book documents, the change is underway and a new Church is being created...
...There is still a strong residue of counter-Revolutionary forces in the churches and the resistance created by the nationalization of the Catholic schools has not been overcome...
...From 1962 to 1965 the Church changed its tactics and worked from a ghetto mentality...
...Part III contains a number of theological writings by Cubans trying to reflect and interpret their situation in terms of their Christianity...
...Indeed, the pre-Revolutionary churches looked to the United States for ideas and religious life, for decisions and money...
...Many Christians worked to uproot the government...
...Having adopted a counter-Revolutionary stance and suffering from a loss of full-time personel, the Church withdrew from society and projected the image of a silent victim...
...During 1960 and 1961 the Church became defiant and confronted the Revolution...
...dependency, the depth of which Cubans are only now realizing...
...Cuban Protestants had become dependent on U.S...
...North Americans have been led to believe that Cuban churches oppose the Revolution...
Vol. 6 • February 1972 • No. 2
