Some 34 parishes and religious houses in the country have been affected by theft and vandalism
14ymedio, Havana, July 5, 2024 — In Cuba, at least 50 robberies have been recorded in 34 Catholic parishes and religious houses since March of last year, according to the Catholic news channel EWTN. The thieves, who often vandalize the premises, have taken all kinds of objects, from electrical equipment such as televisions, microwaves, laptops, fans and audio systems, to lamps and light bulbs with which the churches are illuminated.
The loot, according to information revealed by the Archdiocese of Havana, also includes propane tanks, refrigerators, farm animals, stoves, stoves, washing machines, bedding, tablecloths and even personal hygiene items such as soap. Religious images, Easter candles (large ceremonial candles) and donations collected during liturgical celebrations have also disappeared.
“So far we have not been notified of any results of the investigation,” the nun María Cristina Rivas explained to EWTN. This was in reference to the robbery suffered on March 1 by the congregation of the Carmelite Missionaries in Camagüey. That day there were two robberies: one in their community house and another in the parish they attend.
“They broke the window of the sacristy and entered the church through it. Once in the church, they broke the offering box that is near the image of Nuestra Señora la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre. They took the money from the offerings of the aforementioned offering box (…) When we returned to our house, we found that, at that time, while we were in the parish, they also tried to enter our house and broke a fence of the house. They could not gain access because we were already arriving,” Rivas detailed.
Havana registers most of the cases reported by the Church
But it is in Havana where the vast majority of cases are registered, according to EWTN, and a single thief has robbed at least six churches of the Archdiocese so far this year. The man was caught by members of the community, on June 22, in the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa, in the municipality of Diez de Octubre.
However, the police never came to the scene, so the parish priest had no choice but to let him go. The next day, the very same thief was caught trying to rob the church of Santa Rita de Casia, in Playa, where he again got away with it. Now, the channel explains, parishioners are left with only one option: to share a photograph of the thief in their WhatsApp groups, in order to be prepared against future robberies.
Other cases have been registered in important places for the Catholic faithful in Cuba, such as the network of Loyola Centers, from which an image of Saint Lucia was stolen, as well as some electrical equipment. Robberies are also reported in the church of the Sacred Heart and San Ignacio de Loyola, in the church of Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa de Santos Suárez or the parish of Cristo Redentor.
Many of these complaints can also be found on social networks, as is the case of a robbery suffered by the Sagrado Corazón church on Línea Street, in the capital’s Vedado neighborhood. This is where the priest Lester Rafael Zayas Díaz officiates – one of the most critical voices against the Cuban government within the Catholic Church – who wryly stated: “Once again ‘Brother Thief’ visits us, this time for the need of lamps and light bulbs. He is a thief who has keys and comes and goes as he pleases,” he denounced on Facebook on June 15.
The robberies are not only a reflection of the serious economic crisis that the island is going through and the precariousness to which it leads, but on many occasions, they go hand in hand with intimidating acts by the political police of the regime against priests who have raised their voices about the social situation.
This was one of the complaints contained in the 2023 report on international religious freedom prepared by the U.S. State Department – published last week – which shows in detail that all the persecution recorded on the island against religious groups, regardless of their denomination, is inescapably related to political dissidence with the regime.
Such harassment includes the use of repressive tactics against religious leaders and activists who oppose the Communist Party’s ideology through arrests, arbitrary fines, strict policing of their daily lives and, in some cases, exile. In addition to being denied licenses, religious visas or freedom of movement, they suffer physical and mental abuse.
“Every month, at least one stone, two stones, five stones are thrown against the windows of the church at a time when the perpetrators cannot be seen.” So said Kenny Fernández Delgado, pastor of the church of San Antonio de Padua, in Arroyo Naranjo, located in the Archdiocese of Havana, in an interview with the Catholic news agency.
The Cuban regime has a long history of repression of priests and members of the Catholic Church – lay or religious – which intensified after the protests of July 11, 2021 (11J). After the mass arrests, and even during the demonstrations, priests such as Lester Zayas, Alberto Reyes and José Castor Devesa, who spoke in favor of the citizens or marched alongside them, have frequently been called to explain themselves to State Security, harassed or reprimanded by their superiors under pressure from the government.
Given the scarcity and economic crisis that the island is going through, after the churches are vandalized, they have no choice but to fix the damage with what they have at hand, so it is common to see zinc or acrylic sheets replacing stained glass and windows. This way at least they manage to prevent the attackers from breaking the religious images of the church with the next stone throwing, and prevent anyone from getting hurt.
Translated by Hombre de Paz
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