Fidel, Raul and the cardinal

8/15/2013
Cuba: Fidel, Raul and the cardinal
On Fidel's 87th birthday, the Cuban Church takes stock of five years of
reforms led by brother Raul
ALVER METALLI


The 87th birthday of Fidel Castro went ahead as planned, with
celebrations honouring the illustrious father figure held in a joyful,
yet somewhat mechanical manner. With his emeritus status, he lives
quietly in the shadow of his successor without making too much noise,
destined as he now is to be exalted in the annals of history after
having moved on to the hereafter. All sorts of other analogies will also
inevitably be drawn.

In addition to the many books, concerts, marathons and outpourings of
appreciation on TV and radio which pay him homage, the Catholic magazine
Espacio Laical has put forward its own offering for the occasion,
publishing a text which focuses on an altogether different anniversary:
that of the five years of brother Raul Castro at the helm of government,
accompanied by an editorial that is more than just three columns written
simply for posterity. It is worth remembering that Espacio Laical is not
just any newspaper, and the repercussions of what it publishes go much
further than the paper they are written on. Of course, it is not the
island's official episcopal body but it does express its main views.
Above all, it is a publication which accurately reflects the working
priorities of the Cardinal of Havana, Jaime Ortega, who was among those
who elected Pope Francis at the last conclave and was more recently
Special Papal Envoy for the the National Eucharistic Congress in El
Salvador, where he called for Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero to be
canonised soon.

The text published by Espacio Laical carries the title, 'Quo vadis
Cuba?' (Where is Cuba headed?), and takes a look at the last five-year
period in the country. It recalls the great expectation generated both
on the island and elsewhere by Raul Castro's opening up of the country.
The article says, "There remain many uncertainties over the future of
the reforms but it seems clear that the trend is towards gradual and
ongoing transformations that aim to push the system towards an end point
which is unknown to most Cubans born after the triumph of the
revolution". This is therefore a positive assessment, in which the
following lines place emphasis on the increased sway of private business
in the overall economy, the enlargement of the number of cooperatives
free from state control, the increase in employment in the private
sphere as well as a set of processes aiming to remove bureaucracy in
health services and all services in general.

"Although any forecast regarding Cuba should be made with a dose of
caution, all signs suggest that this time round, there is a true desire
to bring about reform, at least within the Cuban authorities that are
centred around Raul Castro", outlines the magazine, taking an optimistic
stance on the future, "It seems that the process cannot be reversed even
though some corrections may be made... and the approving silence of
Fidel Castro is an additional source of legitimacy". On Raul Castro, the
article goes on to say, "he lacks Fidel's charisma, making him aware
that his leadership undoubtedly must be built upon other foundations: a
more pragmatic vision and a working style which is more personal, more
focused on staff training and putting rules in place.


The same issue of Espacio Laical has an editorial carrying the
ominously indicative title, "Dreams for Cuba, possibilities for Cuba,
the future for Cuba: proposals for the imminent future of our country".
The editorial takes up no more than three pages, outlining 23 points,
numbered with Roman numerals. The text is a set of proposals, intended
to reform the institutional setup of Cuba, ranging from the separation
of powers to recognition of fundamental freedoms and respect for
different religious identities which exist across the country as well as
allowing them to "organise themselves in communities with their own
legal representation". The novelty is not simply what the editorial
says, but also the person who wrote it. It was compiled by a group of
intellectuals, professionals and university lecturers, all of whom
continue to define themselves either as Marxists, republican socialists,
anarchists or Catholics. They come together every couple of years under
the umbrella group of "Laboratorio Casa Cuba", an arena for dialogue on
democracy which has arisen and grown under the sheltered gaze of
Cardinal Ortega.

'Dreams for Cuba, possibilities for Cuba, the future for Cuba' is a
delightully political document, a fact which is not hidden by those who
compiled it. This is a document which is being circulated, which is
gaining support...and which is not being censored by the government.

Source: "Cuba: Fidel, Raul and the cardinal - Vatican Insider" -
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/cuba-cuba-cuba-27165/