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“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Christian leaders across Cuba issued a joint statement criticising the government’s continued violations of religious freedom. In the statement, they condemned fines imposed on religious leaders and restrictions on worship services and that the government’s actions hinder religious organisations’ humanitarian aid activities.
According to the Christian Post (CP) of the United States, the Alliance of Christians of Cuba (ACC) warned in a recently released statement that “the government’s actions are hindering the ability of religious groups to provide humanitarian aid amid a worsening national crisis.”
The British Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the ACC, formed in 2022, criticised the Cuban government for refusing to legalise unregistered places of worship and imposing severe fines on religious leaders.
The 63 leaders who signed the statement described the government’s actions as a “direct attack on religious freedom.” In the statement, they said, “We are disappointed that the government refuses to open spaces for exercising basic rights, such as freedom of association. This limits the church’s ability to provide social support to those most in need.”
According to the statement, the government has collected more than 1 million Cuban pesos (W58.71 million) in fines from religious leaders, which are viewed as punishments for those who seek to help their communities. “Since January 2023, there have been at least 69 incidents where religious leaders have been fined in 11 Cuban states,” the CSW said.
The fines are imposed at a time when Cuba is suffering from severe economic difficulties, natural disasters, and repeated power grid failures. The CSW criticised, “The government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel Vermudez is restraining the activities of independent civil societies, including religious organizations.”
Cuba’s repression of religious freedom appeared to have intensified after large anti-government protests in July 2021. According to the CSW, 622 violations of religious freedom were reported in 2023 alone. It was 657 in 2022 and 272 in 2021.
“I told them I’m a Christian, not a counter-revolutionary church,” an anonymous religious leader said. “I said I could do whatever they wanted, but I will not stop attending church.” The U.S. State Department has classified Cuba as one of the most serious violators of human rights along with China, Iran, and North Korea and designated it a “special concern for religious freedom”. (Source: Christian Today)
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)
God, we report to You the Cuban government, which suppresses religious groups that do good deeds for others amid a national crisis and even imposes fines on Christian leaders to restrict worship. May You break the evil power of the government, which suppresses citizens and persecutes Christianity to maintain its dictatorship. Lord, at a time like this, let the saints hold firmly to the Lord who is the hope of the way of their faith, and care for each other. Let the living worship of the Cuban Church which does not compromise on faith, be a community of Christ who loves and encourages each other and strives to gather more.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
