Vatican condemns U.S. blockade; new details emerge about church sit-in
From the Havana bureau of Radio Progreso Alternativa
The Holy See on Friday (16) condemned the U.S. blockade against Cuba in a statement previous to the visit that Pope Benedict XVI will pay to the island.
At a press conference in Rome, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that “it is the people who suffer the consequence of the American stance,” an economic, commercial and financial siege imposed more than 50 years ago.
“The Holy See does not believe this is a positive or useful measure,” Lombardi said.
It is not the first time that the Vatican declares its opposition to the blockade against Cuba, expressed also by John Paul II in his visit to Cuba in January 1998. However, this ecclesial attitude contrasts with statements by domestic opponents to the government and the right-wing exile media in Miami, who insist on driving a wedge between the Catholic faithful and the Church authorities.
This has been demonstrated by the several recent attempts to occupy churches and the adverse propaganda in those media, both in the versions of the events and in the personal attacks against Cardinal Jaime Ortega and other Church authorities.
Of all the attempts to occupy churches illegally, only the ones in Holguín and Havana went farther than a conversation with the priests as the occupied churches, who convinced the demonstrators to leave the building. In the other two, the versions “reported” by Miami media quote “reports” (some anonymous) of police brutality in Havana and physical aggression against one of the occupiers, at the hands of no less than the Bishop of Holguín, Msgr. Emilio Aranguren.
On both occasions, the Church authorities denied that any violence occurred and strongly criticized the politicization of the events.
According to the press release signed by Orlando Márquez Hidalgo, spokesman for the Havana Archbishopric, “the action of putting an end to the occupation began at 9 p.m. local time and lasted less than 10 minutes. The 13 occupiers were invited to leave the temple and did not offer resistance.” (Emphasis ours.)
The statement from the Archbishopric of Havana clashes with contradictory assertions by Vladimir Calderón, who led the occupation of the church in Havana. In a paradoxical statement to Agence France-Presse, Calderón said that the demonstrators were “deceived by some church functionaries” because the clergymen “opened the doors [of the temple] allowing 28 antiriot agents to enter.” The agents immobilized the demonstrators and removed them by force, Calderón claimed.
“Actually, there was no violent beating. What happened was a violent act of repression, which – after all – leaves the body sore,” Calderón added. (Emphasis ours.)
As to the incident in Holguín, the Bishopric’s note, signed by Msgr. Aranguren says that there was an exchange of words with one of the occupiers. “He told me that I wasn’t the pastor,” the Bishop relates. “Then I raised my voice and, in a firm manner and pointing with my finger, I told him he was offending me. Several members of the group told him to shut up.
“At no time did I slap him or made a gesture that caused the cell phone to fall on the floor. We did not turn out the lights inside the temple. […] Therefore, what has been said by those who reported the events does not correspond with the truth.”
In view of the position of the Catholic Church in Cuba and the Vatican’s support for its attitude, as well as the Vatican’s own statement about Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the island and against the blockade, we might ask ourselves who benefits from such incidents and their subsequent media manipulation. It is obvious that someone is lying.
