Saturday, March 17, 2012

Church-ordered raid sparks controversy in Cuba

Posted on Thursday, 03.15.12

Church-ordered raid sparks controversy in Cuba
Associated Press

HAVANA -- A decision by Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal to call police in
to remove dissidents occupying a church has sparked an uncomfortable
debate about the institution's role on this Communist-run island at the
worst possible moment: just 10 days ahead of a high-profile visit by
Pope Benedict XVI.

Cuban opposition leaders who had kept their distance from the 13
little-known protesters holed up in the Church of Charity since Tuesday
nonetheless denounced the move by Cardinal Jaime Ortega to oust them,
saying Friday it was a black mark for a church that ought to protect
human and political rights.

The criticism was joined by human rights officials and some exiles,
though others acknowledged the dissidents put church leaders in a tough
spot. Religious experts noted the eviction of the occupiers was not
unprecedented, with police called in just last month to remove
protesters from a camp outside St. Paul's cathedral in London, and
Occupy Wall Street protesters removed from a church in New York last year.

The 13 Cuban dissidents were removed from the church in Central Havana
at 9:30 p.m. Thursday by some 60 unarmed officers, who took them to a
nearby police station, fingerprinted them and issued a formal warning
before sending them home. The church said in a statement that it had
secured a promise from the government not to prosecute the dissidents
for their action.

The group initially demanded an audience with the pope during his March
26-28 visit, then asked that he mediate a list of demands on their
behalf, including establishing a transitional government to end a
half-century of Communist rule under Fidel and Raul Castro.

The church said the dissidents were evicted peacefully in an operation
that took less than 10 minutes, an account verified by local residents
interviewed by The Associated Press on Friday, but vehemently disputed
by at least one occupier.

"The church is lying, " Fred Calderon said in a telephone interview. "It
wasn't peaceful. They removed us with violence and shoving."

The Vatican stood by Ortega in a terse statement from Rome.

"We approved of the position of the cardinal and the diocese," said Rev.
Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Holy See. "I have nothing else to
add."

Back in Cuba, many dissidents who had questioned their colleagues'
tactics expressed outrage at Ortega's decision, as well as charges by
the dissidents that they were denied food for nearly 48 hours.

Well-known blogger Yoani Sanchez tweeted that it was "an embarrassing
night" for the church. Elizardo Sanchez, a de facto spokesman for the
dissidents and proponent of human rights who is no relation to Yoani,
said he was stunned by the cardinal's decision: "I thought they were
going to look for other alternatives, like dialogue or mediation."

Ortega's role has been the subject of intense debate in Cuba. Some
praise the 75-year-old cardinal for carving out a space for the church
in a Communist country that in the past was openly hostile, and for
personally mediating with President Castro in 2010 to secure the release
of dozens of political prisoners.

Others say Ortega is passive and has grown too close to the government,
which considers the dissidents mercenaries and common criminals paid by
Washington to stir up trouble. The government had no comment on the
raid, but pro-government blogs blamed the dissidents and accused exiles
of having a hand in the occupation.

In Miami, filmmaker and political commentator Joe Cardona said the
church's decision to call the police was "horrific but not surprising."

"People in Cuba are turning to the church for protection, and the church
is turning its back on them because it puts a damper on the pope's
visit," said Cardona, a Cuban-American who opposes the U.S. economic
embargo on the island.

Pepe Hernandez, head of the Cuban American National Foundation and a
decades-long opponent of the Cuban government, said the church handled
the standoff poorly, but he was more understanding of the bind Catholic
officials were in.

"Historically the church, and specifically the Catholic Church, has been
a refuge and asylum for those who have been persecuted throughout
history. That space, which is a sacred space, should be reserved for
that, and for those who come to be close to their faith," he said. If
not, he warned, whoever has a demand is going to take over a church and
stay there.

The Rev. Thomas Moore, senior fellow at Woodstock Theological Center at
Georgetown University, said that while it is always better to avoid
calling the police, the church does not look kindly on people who try to
occupy sacred ground.

"The demonstrators were doing two things: they were using the church to
make a political statement, but also they were trying to force the pope
to speak to them," he said. "And I think that was really two strikes
against them, trying to tell the pope what to do."

Associated Press reporters Daniela Petroff in Rome, Laura Wides-Munoz in
Miami and Andrea Rodriguez and Anne-Marie Garcia in Havana contributed
to this report.

Follow Paul Haven at http://www.twitter.com/paulhaven/

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/15/2695669/cuba-dissidents-vow-to-stay-in.html

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