ANALYSIS spring in Cuba?
Havana (Reuters) – the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba this week marked another milestone in the cautious efforts of the Catholic Church to increase its role in the Communist island’s Government. The Cardinal of Havana, Jaime Ortega, called it “a spring of the faith”. Although it is not clear if the three days spent the Pope in Cuba will change something, or how it could do so, analysts agree that any notion of “Cuban”Spring”in terms of political change is still away. Still, the papal visit seems to have cemented the growing influence of the Church in Cuban society and politics, a change potentially positive in the balance of forces in the Socialist country. “The Catholic Church in Cuba has taken a greater role.” “For the first time there is a direct dialogue with the Government, which has to do with national politics,” said Philip Peters, expert in Cuba and Vice President of the Lexington Institute, who was present at the mass on Wednesday in Havana. “The Church is pressing for greater and deeper economic reforms.” “And also for a political opening,” he added. The Church hopes that the journey of the Pope will help mainly to revive faith in Cuba, where the religion was stigmatised for decades after the 1959 Revolution. Nevertheless, the Church, although very diminished, he survived and remains the largest and most influential outside...
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