Religion

RELIGION IN CUBA

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest organized religion in Cuba, dating back to the XV century when Spanish colonizers introduced it to the island. However, unlike in other Latin American countries, the Catholic Church has never held as much influence in Cuba. Even before the Revolution, it was often perceived as the religion of the affluent. In the 1950s, around 85% of Cubans identified as Roman Catholic, but only about 10% were actively practicing members.

At the beginning of the 20th century, when Spain was defeated by the USA and a new constitution was approved, the separation of Church and State took place. This period also saw the rise of Protestantism due to the influence of the United States, although Catholicism remained the predominant religion. Following the Revolution, relations between the Cuban government and the Catholic Church were strained. Many priests left the country, with some joining the émigré community in Miami. However, in the late 1970s, there was a gradual reconciliation facilitated by the Vatican's condemnation of the US embargo.

In 1992, the ban on religious believers joining the Communist Party was lifted, and the Cuban constitution was amended to describe the state as secular instead of atheist. In 1994, Cardinal Jaime Ortega was appointed by the Vatican, filling the position that had been vacant since 1963.

Significant milestones in Catholic-Cuban relations occurred in the late 1990s. Fidel Castro visited Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1996, and the Pope reciprocated with a visit to Cuba in January 1998. Castro expressed the view that there was no inherent conflict between Marxism and Christianity, and he showed support for supporters of liberation theology in their pursuit of equality and social justice. At the Pope's request, the Cuban government reinstated Christmas Day as a public holiday, a celebration that had been suspended in the 1960s.

The Virgin of Charity (La Virgen de la Caridad) is considered the patron saint of Cuba. Her shrine in the town of El Cobre, located outside Santiago in southwest Cuba, is the country's most important religious site. During his historic visit to the island in 1998, Pope John Paul II crowned the statue of the Virgin in this shrine.

Afro-Cuban religions, which blend native African religions with Roman Catholicism, are widely practiced in Cuba. From the mid-16th century to the late 19th century, Cuba witnessed the arrival of countless African slaves who brought with them animistic beliefs that were melded with Catholicism.

The Yoruba people from Nigeria were the largest African group, and their pantheon of deities, known as orishas, forms the basis of the syncretic Regla de Ocha cult, also known as Santería. Unlike Catholic saints, the orishas are seen as imperfect beings with human frailties. They are associated with specific codes of conduct, dress (including color-coded necklaces), diets, and chants and rhythms played on sacred batá drums.

Prominent orishas include Obatala, dressed in white and associated with Our Lady of Mercy; Chango, whose color is red and is syncretized with Saint Barbara; and Yemaya, the goddess of the sea, who is identified with the color blue and associated with the Virgin of Regla. Ochun, the goddess of love and rivers, is represented by the color yellow and associated with the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre. Babalu Aye, traditionally dressed in purple, is the orisha of illness and disease and has been syncretized with Saint Lazarus, regarded as a particularly miraculous figure.

Slaves originally from Congo practiced the Conga Rule or Palo Monte, which is mainly found in Havana and Matanzas provinces. Palo Monte is a more fragmented and less prosperous belief system compared to Regla de Ocha, borrowing aspects of it and other sources. This religion is essentially animist, utilizing the forces of nature for performing good or evil magic and predicting the future in ceremonies involving rum, tobacco, and sometimes gunpowder.

An important element of Conga Rule is the nganga, a receptacle that holds various objects, organic materials, and minerals essential to the faith. It is carefully guarded by religious leaders. Regla Conga also possesses a rich array of complex magical symbols.

Another African-inspired religious manifestation in Cuba is the Abakuá Secret Society. This exclusive sect is open exclusively to men and often referred to as Afro-Cuban freemasonry. It originated among carabali slaves brought from the Calabar region of southern Nigeria and Cameroon. These groups function as associations for mutual protection and assistance and are primarily found in Havana, Matanzas, and Cienfuegos.