Pope says Catholics still face distrust in Cuba

Pope says Catholics still face distrust in Cuba
Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:46pm EST
By Anthony Boadle

HAVANA (Reuters) - Ten years after Pope John Paul's historic trip to
Cuba, his successor Pope Benedict said Roman Catholics on the
communist-run island still face difficulties and distrust.

"At times, some Christian communities feel overwhelmed by the
difficulties, by the lack of resources, the indifference and even
distrust, that can be discouraging," he said on Thursday in a message to
Cuba's Catholic bishops.

The message was delivered by the Vatican secretary of state Cardinal
Tarcisio Bertone who arrived here on Wednesday on a visit to commemorate
the 1998 papal trip.

Bertone arrived in Havana one day after Cuban leader Fidel Castro
announced he was stepping down after 49 years in power. His brother Raul
Castro is expected to be named Cuba's new head of state on Sunday.

The Vatican hopes Bertone's visit will bring further improvement in the
once strained relations with the government so that the Catholic Church
can operate more freely in Cuba.

Bertone called for "respect and mutual understanding" so that the Church
has the freedom to carry out its pastoral mission.

After Castro came to power in 1959, priests were expelled and Catholics
faced decades of official atheism. They were greatly cheered by the
visit of John Paul II, who met Castro and urged Cuba to allow more
political freedom.

The Catholic Church is the only major institution in Cuba that is not
controlled by the state and is expected to play an important social role
in any post-Castro transition.

But it has not been allowed to build new churches, play a role in
education or gain access to radio broadcasting.

Catholics say they have gained little ground since the papal visit a
decade ago.

Carmen Vallejo, a fervent Catholic, said there is religious freedom in
Cuba and processions are allowed on the streets but the growth of the
Church has been blocked.

Vallejo, who works with children with terminal cancer, said she had been
barred from entering hospitals to provide them with relief through prayer.

"We are not in the catacombs, but almost," she said.

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart in Rome)

http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Cuba/idUSN2146593320080221?sp=true