AMERICA/CUBA - The Church wants to be an active part in public education and have access to the media

Monday, 21 November 2016 education   bishops   evangelization  

Havana (Agenzia Fides) - "The Church wants to have schools or spaces in schools, because it is what also a considerable part of the population wants": asks the new Archbishop of Havana, His Exc. Mgr. Juan de la Caridad Garcia, in the magazine "Palabra Nueva", published by the Archdiocese, sent to Fides.
In 1961, amid strong disagreements with the Catholic hierarchy, the government of Fidel Castro nationalized the entire education system and removed many schools from the Church, which at that time were the main source of livelihood.
The new atheist Cuban state had in fact also prevented any presence of the Church in the field of communication, but now the Church "wishes to have access to the media in a continuous manner" writes Mgr. Garcia. Since 1961 the press in Cuba has been under state control, and the Church has had some modest means for the spread of faith in the churches.
In 1998, the year of Pope John Paul II's visit to Cuba, also marks another milestone: since then priests have access to radio or television during religious celebrations or press releases, but always with respect to the issues closely related to Catholic faith.
In 2010 there was a rapprochement of the parties, remembers the Archbishop: an unprecedented dialogue that concluded with the freedom of 130 political prisoners. In that period, the government of Raul Castro, returned some goods seized in the 60s to the Church, but it does not seem willing to grant access to education and the media.
Now, we read in "Palabra Nueva", the Church "wants to have an active and public part in education, to teach the virtues that must correct the vices and promote harmony among all Cubans", concludes Mgr. Garcia. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 21/11/2016)


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