The 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans.
FILE - People light candles in honor of Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, at her shrine in El Cobre, Cuba, Feb. 11, 2024. The Vatican-recognized Virgin, venerated by Catholics and followers of Afro-Cuban Santeria traditions, is at the heart of Cuban identity. – The 1959 Castro-led revolution installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans.
“I don’t know whether the religious revival has occurred in Cuba as a result of the Protestants involvement in the island, or as a result of the frustrations of the Cubans, or the result of a tolerance that the Cuban government seems to show toward religion,” said Jaime Suchlicki, former director of the University of Miami Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.More than 60% of Cuba’s 11 million people are baptized Catholic, according to the church.
But when Suarez did his military service as a young seminarian, he kept his Bible hidden, fearing it would get confiscated. “John Paul II marks the start of the opening – there’s a before and after,” said Suarez, speaking at the iron gate-guarded Catholic headquarters that stands next to a plaque commemorating the pope’s historic visit.
Arguably the most popular religion in Cuba is Santeria, which fuses Catholicism with Afro-Caribbean traditions. For six decades, she has made a monthly offering of flowers and cane syrup to the goddess of the sea after doctors told her that she wouldn’t live long because of a heart condition. She recently turned 82.
These days, music from Santeria drum ceremonies echoes from inside the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba into the American Brotherhood Park, known for its large ceiba, a sacred tree in Afro-Cuban religions. On a recent day, young dancers synchronized their moves to the fast batá drumbeat at a rehearsal paying homage to their orishas.Nearby was a statue of Yemaya, the Yoruba goddess of the sea.
“We show our love for being Jewish, our roots,” said Betina Acosta, 24, who is part of the Israeli folk dance group and teaches the congregation's children. “We’re Cuban, and we’re also Jewish.”The only mosque in Havana opened in 2015 and the Muslim community has grown to about 2,500 people nationwide, said Ahmed Aguero, one of the mosque’s leaders. He owns a nearby restaurant where community members often gather.
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