Vatican has time to meet with Castro brothers, but not sure about Ladies in White
Apparently, the Vatican has set aside time during the Pope's visit to Cuba in late March to have the pontiff meet with dictators Fidel and Raul Castro. However, they are not sure if the Pope will have time to meet with the Ladies in White, devout Catholics who are suffering repression, intimidation, beatings, humiliating sexual assaults, and death at the hands of the Castro dictatorship for trying to attend mass every Sunday.
Is it me, or do the Vatican's priorities appear to be backwards?
Via Capitol Hill Cubans:
Vatican Bestows Impunity Upon Castro
Last week, the Vatican confirmed meetings with Cuban dictators Raul and Fidel Castro during Pope Benedict XVI's March visit to the island.Meanwhile, Cuba's courageous Ladies in White have been told to stand idly by as the Pope's agenda is "very heavy" (apparently from meeting with dictators).
How has the Castro regime received this news?
With impunity, of course.
On Saturday, Castro's secret police violently arrested numerous Ladies in White in the Eastern cities of Palmarito de Cauto, Palma Soriano, Contramaestre, and Santiago de Cuba. Road blocks were placed on the main road leading to the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity ("El Cobre") to prevent the Ladies in White from attending Sunday Mass.
Among those arrested were Aurora Martin, Niraida Martin, Karina Quintana, Darmis Aguedo, Alina Fonseca, Aliagna Issac, Eduvenia Issac, Yanelis Leiva, Yaima Bejerano, Mercedes Fernandez, Adriana Fernandez, Annia Pecora, Darelis Chacon., Ana Celia Rodriguez Torres, Kenia Legren Elliot, Maria Teresa Darroman Lopez and Araceli Maria Elena.
And on Sunday, eleven other Ladies in White were held under siege in the Church of Santa Catalina de Ricci in the eastern city of Guantanamo.
Meanwhile, in Holguin, Adisnidia Cruz was arrested alongside two activists as they headed the Church of Christ Redeemer ("Cristo Redentor"). Also beaten and arrested were Ladies in White Caridad Caballero Batista, Marta Diaz Rondon, Berta Segura, Gertrudis Ojeda, and Isabel Peña.
Maybe the Vatican will now reconsider and make them "worthy" of a Papal visit.
Soooo.......
How about someone organize a boycott of all Miami Diocese Masses in answer to the pope catering to the Cuban government?
The irony is that it is easy for us who are free to tell those who are slaves to rise up when they risk their very lives when those of us who are free refuse to do so in the safety of our churches.
If we could organize a mass boycott (no pun intended)at least up and through the RCC pope's visit it would have quite an impact.
I am tired of his negotiating to free political prisoners from jail yet keep them in the prison that is Cuba. I am neither in Cuba or a Catholic and I believe you are missing a great opportunity to have a real impact.
Correction... I am not in Miami.
The Pope and the RCC in bed with the Devil, how disgusting!
Coming from a Catholic, I cannot find words these days to express my disgust with the Pope and the RCC.
Freedom,
Yet you are still in the RCC. With all due respect is it not disgusting enough?
I think it is a good idea for this idea to be publicized. If Catholics stayed home from churches all over the country - fat chance because most don't care about this - but if many did, at least, it might say something.
In the meantime I will send this to Rich Lowry and Jay Nordlinger
pototo,
Even though I'm Catholic I don't support the RCC actions and no longer support the RCC monetarily.
The other denominations are just as guilty in their support for the Castro tyranny.
FFC,
We will have to agree to disagree. The other "licensed" and "recognized" by the Cuban government denominations, but not those who are working independently. But this article is not about the complicity of other denominations, but of the RCC.
I say that with all respect as I do agree with you in most instances, but not in this one.
fine pototo,
This is how I feel about this issue and I hope I'm crystal clear to you about this matter.
It is our God given right to belong to the Church we want to belong and to worship our Mighty Lord for whatever personal reasons we have.
It IS NOT our right (whether we think we're right or not) to tell or insinuate others which Church they should belong or not, or whether they should leave their Church for another one.
As a member of the RCC, I WILL NOT not support the Church monetarily any longer.
Last year I sent a very strong worded letter of condemnation to the Archdiocese of Miami (when they requested monetary contribution my mail to their ABCD program) regarding this Cuba matter and Archbishop Wenski involvement in it and wrote them to feel free to show my letter to the Archbishop.
In a nutshell I told them in my letter that they would never get a monetary contribution from me ever again and that Archbishop Wenski is an accomplice to the evils perpetrated by the Castro tyranny and that he was a FAKE and a PHONY to the gospel of freedom and justice that he preaches on a daily basis.
I got no response but trust me, I'm certain that my letter did not sit well with the Archdiocese and I'm certain I won't receive any more contribution requests from them.
FFC,
It is indeed our right to free speech to say whatever we feel. Otherwise we are back in Cuba.
I admire your response to the RCC and wish others would do the same.
FFC,
BTW, we are still on the same side.
I know pototo...
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