Cuban dictatorship charges Catholic priest with ‘pre-criminal activity and incitement to commit a crime’

Troublesome priest

From our Bureau of Troublesome Priests with some assistance from our Bureau of Socialist Tolerance, Compassion, and Social Justice

Calling on Cubans and Venezuelans to hold prayer sessions in public spaces has caused serious trouble for Father Kenny Fernández. Yes, as previously reported, Castro, Inc.’s Ministry of Fear descended quickly on Father Kenny after he posted his call for prayer on social media, subjecting him to a heated interrogation filled with threats.

Now we learn the details of his grilling, during which he was accused of engaging in “pre criminal activity.” This is a very serious charge. In Castrogonia such “potential dangerousness” can land anyone in jail.

He was not arrested, but he is now being watched more closely than ever by the Ministry of Fear. The outspoken priest’s response to this harassment was remarkably courageous: “I will continue to defend my freedom of expression and that of all Cubans,” he said, adding: “A scolding from a ‘prosecuting attorney’ does not work with me. If my teacher went to the Cross for defending his ideas, I will too.” If you are a praying person, please pray for Father Kenny.

Loosely translated from Diario de Cuba

“The intention was only to pray for a resolution to conflicts where peace and justice prevail in Venezuela and Cuba, and I believe that should be in everyone’s interest,” wrote Cuban priest Kenny Fernández Delgado on his Facebook profile, revealing details about the interrogation he was subjected to by State Security agents, who intended to intimidate him due to his social media posts regarding the elections in Venezuela. Additionally, political police officers intimidated the priest following an invitation he made to the faithful to hold a family prayer session in parks across all cities for Cuba and Venezuela on Saturday, August 3.

Fernández Delgado was interrogated by two agents from the Department of Immigration and Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior, with the justification that he owns an apartment he rents to Cubans and that, since there is a possibility that at some “distant moment” he might decide to rent it to foreigners, this department “has the authority to summon me as many times as it wants, even with less than 24 hours’ notice and at least once every six months, without needing to present an official summons document,” he explained.

This entity, according to the religious leader, “among other functions, does the same thing that State Security does with all citizens, but focuses on landlords: repress those who express thoughts different from what they call the Revolution, and harass them repeatedly until they silence them, or take as many repressive measures as necessary to silence them. I suppose this is to prevent them from being a ‘bad ideological influence’ on foreigners who might decide to rent their homes.”

Regarding the call to pray in the parks, the agents informed him that “it is a pre-criminal activity and an incitement to commit a crime,” as they said, “someone could take advantage of that call to commit crimes against the Revolution, in which case the organizer would be indirectly responsible for those crimes. In other words, those of us who call for something good are responsible for what criminals might do.”

Furthermore, the officers of the repressive body insisted that “the organizer of prayer in public places must seek permission from the relevant authorities, according to the new Communication and Manifestation law; if not, it is an illegal call, and the organizer will incur the corresponding sanctions.”

In response to these arguments, Fernández Delgado stated: “A call that is not expressly to support Castroism or Chavism, will it be approved?” He added, “They finally said that only calls within churches, places of worship, are allowed. But we know that anything they imagine could be against the Revolution can be and has been repressed as well.”

In this regard, the priest, who is frequently threatened due to his social media posts, emphasized that “dictatorships can only survive at the cost of deceiving and repressing the desires of the majority and many other things contrary to the commandments of the King of the Universe. Know that their days are numbered; I recommend they repent in time.”

“I will continue to defend my freedom of expression and that of all Cubans. I tell you that scolding from a ‘prosecuting attorney’ does not work with me. If my teacher went to the Cross for defending his ideas, I will too,” he added.

Fernández Delgado, one of the most critical representatives of the Cuban Catholic Church, concluded: “I will make my decisions before the Blessed Sacrament (Jesus Christ) and not based on what others say. I don’t care about losing an apartment, my life, or the lives of my loved ones as long as I gain Christ, and know that He, whom you do not know, has more than enough power to resurrect me and my loved ones.”

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