The Cuban Constitution of 1976 states:
Article 54
The socialist state, which bases its activity and educates people in the scientific materialist concept of the universe, recognizes and guarantees freedom of conscience and the right of everyone to profess any religious belief and to practice, within the framework of respect for the law, the belief of his preference.The law regulates the activities of religious institutions.
It is illegal and punishable by law to oppose one’s faith or religious belief to the Revolution, to education, or to the fulfillment of one’s duty to work, defend the homeland with arms, show reverence for its symbols and fulfill other duties established by the constitution.
In 1991 the government of Cuba allowed religious adherents to join the communist party for the first time. In 1992, the above cited constitution was amended to prohibit religious discrimination. References to “scientific socialism” as the basis of the state were removed.
In spite of these changes, however, persecution of religion continues. The government requires religious groups to register with the provincial registry of associations. It forbids virtually all construction of new churches. Because church membership has been growing in recent years, this forces believers to gather in private homes in violation of the law. Authorities have warned religious leaders in Havana that if private houses of worship are not closed they will impose fines of $550 to $2800 (10,000 to 50,000 pesos), imprison leaders and withdraw official recognition of offending religious denominations. Evangelical churches have reported eviction from and bulldozing of houses used for private worship. In La Tunas, neighbors of a private house of worship attempted to provoke fights with worshippers, played blaring music to disrupt services, and attempted to pour boiling water through the window into the room where the services were being held.
In December, 1995, the government issued an order prohibiting the sale of any computers, fax machines, photocopiers, and other equipment to churches. In February 1996, attorney Cesar Antonio Martinez Melero was expelled by the Union of Communist Youth from the lawyers collective in Palma Soriano because of his involvement with the Catholic Church. In April of the same year, a student, Raul Levya Amaran, had his stipend revoked by the disciplinary board of the Julio Mella Polytechnic Institute for refusing to attend a rally celebrating Cuba’s shooting down of two civilian US aircraft. His refused on religious grounds.
Interestingly, the Cuban government has relaxed restrictions on Jehovah’s Witnesses. Members of this faith had previously been considered “active religious enemies of the Revolution” because they refuse to participate in religious services. The government has authorized the Witnesses to hold small assemblies, to open a central office in Havana, and to publish the “Watchtower” and other religious tracts.
In January of 1998, Pope John Paul II paid an historic visit to Cuba. Prior to the visit, the Castro Regime authorized the first public mass since 1961 on June 29. The mass for about 4000 persons took place outside of Havana’s Cathedral. The ceremony was held to celebrate the 19th anniversary of John Paul II election as Pope and to kick off preparations for his upcoming visit. The government provided security, drinking water, and sanitation facilities and provided print and television coverage of the event.
During his visit to Cuba from January 21-25, 1998, the Pope conducted Mass in the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, where he said that ``the spirit blows wherever it wants, and it wants to blow in Cuba.'' Since the visit, there has been some improvement in relations between the government and the Catholic Church. The government has allowed several dozen priests and members of religious orders to travel to Cuba and join the work of the church. In addition, Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega has been able to broadcast two messages by radio.
In 1998, the Communist government reinstated Christmas as a state holiday. Christmas had not been recognized officially in Cuba since 1969. In January 1999, while visiting Mexico, Pope John Paul II, sent a message to Roman Catholics in Cuba encouraging them to continue pastoral work to help build a society in which human rights and social justice are combined to the detriment of no one. The Pope said in his message that the Cuban church should ``profess the faith in public places, be personally and socially charitable, educate people about freedom . . . and encourage initiatives that can lead to a new society.''
2003 U.S. State Department International Religious Freedom Report on Cuba
Blind Christian Lawyer Given Four Years for His Stand for Human Rights in Cuba WorldWide Religious News 4/28/04
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