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Frei Betto*: What to expect from the visit of Pope Francisco to Cuba?

by Raúl Juárez

source Revista Digital

translation Cuba-Network in Defense of Humanity

“The Pope in the US reminds me of the expulsion of the merchants from the temple”

Frei Betto: "The same as Jesus, Francisco has no fear. Nor even does he worry about his personal security”

“The right wing of the US and the fundamentalists pray to the Pope: ‘Sir, enlighten him or eliminate him’”

Frei Betto agreed to be interviewed in his next visit to Cuba and the United States of Pope Francisco. The very same one who said in 2014 after a short meeting with the Pope that if he had more time he would have conversed with Francisco “on the change of status of the Woman in the Church since, as yet, women are considered inferior and for that reason cannot be a priest; I would talk of Cuba, ask that he intervene on behalf of the five Cubans and of the importance to evaluate the social movements”. As is evident, almost all these things that would have been said a year ago have now come true. How will you see the coming visit of Francisco to Cuba and the United States, as visionary, as prophet?

Esteemed Betto, thank you for granting this interview. From what you know about Cuba, its processes, the stages of the Revolution, what is the importance now of the visit of Francisco to the Island?

As in Brazil Cuba had the privilege of receiving in a short time the visit of three popes: Juan Pablo II, Benedicto XVI, and now, Francisco. The difference is that Brazil is considered the country with the largest number of Catholics while Cuba, a socialist country, only 5% of the almost 12 million inhabitants professes the catholic religion.

The papal visits to Cuba deeply angered the White House. It is common knowledge that when the visit of Juan Pablo II, Bush did everything in his power to frustrate it, to prevent it from happening. Since he was not successful in his effort he turned his attention to prevent the Pope from visiting Cuba and he was expected to condemn socialism and the Revolution. But Juan Pablo II praised not only the large social conquests of the Revolution but also made a great personal friend of Fidel Castro.

Today relations between the Catholic Church and the Cuban government are excellent. In the past there were rifts. Aside from that never was a church closed by the Revolution and no priest shot. What’s more, the bishops of Cuba condemned many times the criminal blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.

What could be expected from the visit of the Pope to Cuba?

As we all know Francisco played a very important role the re approach of the United States with Cuba; the reestablishment of diplomatic relations that have already begun. Still pending is the lifting of the blockade and return to Cuba of the Guantanamo naval base used as an illegal jail of alleged terrorists kidnapped around the world by US security forces (considered illegal because many of the detainees in Guantanamo were not submitted to a legal trial and are citizens of other countries (Note; translator – N.T)

The future papal visit scheduled for the end of September originally was to the US. But the Pope deliberately wanted to pass by Cuba before, staying for three days.

Among the Cuban dissidents there are signs of rejection of the actions of Pope Francisco mostly his influence on the reestablishment of normal relations between the US and Cuba. How will these criticisms influence public opinion of the residents in the Island?

There is not the least possibility that these dissidents will find an echo in the Island. The Cuban people are mostly religious although many are not official catholic. What predominates is a syncretism, in other words Christian tradition with African religions brought by the slaves similar to what happened in the Brazilian state of Bahia (and (in all the countries of the area. N T)

But the anti Castro Cubans and fundamentalists of the right wing in the US, reestablishment of US-Cuba relations and end of the blockade is a hard blow. Automatically they become official criminals that objected to these relations. Also, now US tourists will see with their own eyes the reality of Cuba and understand how many lies were spewed by the mass media at the service of capitalist interests regarding Cuba where children are not seen sleeping in the streets nor homeless families living under bridges.

The model of the Revolution seems to demonstrate the need for renovation, updating many issues, above all economic ones or in terms of popular participation. Is that it? And if it were, What would be the point of view for the most important transformations being undertaken at this time?

Cuba is the only socialist country in the history of the West. And, in my opinion, the only truly socialist in the world. But asphyxiated by the capitalist hegemonic globalization and without counting on the support of the former Soviet Union, Cuba is undergoing a very difficult situation economically, worsened even more by the blockade “made in the USA”.

For this reason structural reforms were necessary in the country, an opening up of foreign investments but always as a means to improve socialism and not allow the country to slide back into capitalism. Cubans do not want the future of Cuba to be a copy of Honduras or Guatemala. The role of the church has been important although diverse. For example the Baptist Church is very close to the revolutionary project and is well received by the Cuban government in general. What is your view of the role that should be expected of the Catholic Church in Cuba?

The protestant churches although originally from the United States always maintained good relations with the Revolution. At the beginning of socialism the Catholic Church harshly fought it, allying with the counterrevolutionaries. Happily this period has been surpassed and today, the Catholic Church plays an important role mediating between the government and dissidents having helped free political prisoners.

Today there are no political prisoners in Cuba and even Cardinal Jaime Ortega, archbishop of Havana acts a guarantor of how Cuba respects human rights. However, in spite of this there still persists a strong international campaign that wants to convince us of the opposite.

According to your knowledge, what are the major achievements of the Revolution?

This was already recognized by the Popes who visited Cuba the achievements in the fields of education and health. I could honestly say that Cuba is the only country in Latin America that assures its population of the three main human rights: food, health and education.

Cubans prefer to live in a poor society, but without misery, with sharing the basic needs of an honest life to live in a society marked by inequality where a few have very much and the poor almost nothing.

Knowing personally Fidel Castro for years and his brother what can the Pope Francisco expect from his visit on the part of the Cuban government?

Their recognition as protagonists in favor of peace in the world, to combat social inequalities, to accusations of oppression in defense of the poorest and for the preservation of the environment stated in the encyclical "Louvado Sejas" (SIC Laudato SI´), the most important social and environmental document of all times.

The concept of International Cooperation is well known and that the practical Cuban model is an expression of solidarity among sister nations. Can you tell us a little more of what is this new style of mutual help among the countries?

Cuba always shared what it had with the poor of the world. Therefore in participated in the war of Angola, supported independence of Namibia and the end of Apartheid in South Africa. Today is sends physicians and professors to more than 100 countries in the world, including Brazil.

The symbol of the economic blockade suffered by Cuba also demonstrates the arrogance of the United States and its partners, also is a clear form of showing that a very poor nation can survive this blockade with ingenuity and can reject any attempt of arrogance. It is an entire symbol expressing that saying NO should not be feared against all forms of impositions and we can move forwards despite difficulties. What is your opinion of the lesson learned for all of us recalling this part of history that is coming towards the end?

It is still not the end (the blockade N.T.)… The US Congress is the one that can lift the blockade. I expect it will do so before the Pope disembarks in Havana on September 19.

The fact that Obama publicly recognized that the “blockade failed” is praise for the resistance of the Cuban people. It is as if the president of the most powerful warmongering and economic burden in the history of humankind publically admits having been defeated by the poor people of Vietnam.

The opening up in the world context by the Island implies doubts on who to receive Cuban culture and societies certain negative results of the capitalist model, such as drugs in young people or malnutrition in the poorer classes. What should we expect of this new stage?

The Cuban government is very much aware of the risks although aware that the entrance of tourists from the US will be a clash between the “Consumer Tsunami’ and revolutionary austerity…Cuba does not want to become a “mini China” while measures are being taken to prevent the country to fall into the hands of capitalism and its lackeys.

Can we consider the Cuban people religious?

Yes. Suffice it to read that interview I made of Fidel in 1985 published in the book “Fidel and Religion “”. Colonized by the Iberian Christianism, Cuba is marked in its religiosity by African roots. Atheism as a popular belief did not take root in spite of the efforts of the Soviets.

Pope Francisco does not expect a warm reception by the conservative sectors of the United States, mostly for his recent criticisms of the social-cultural-economic model of the neoliberal system that the Pope expressed in the LAUDATO SI' and in his speeches and homilies made in his latest apostolic trip to the poorest countries of South America, what could be the principal attacks? What can they accuse Francisco by part of the most conservative sectors?

Both the right wing in the US as well as the Christian fundamentalists pray to Francisco: “Sir, illuminate him or eliminate him”… Francisco is by no means naïve and known how harshly he will be criticized by the owners of the money who cause global genocides. As it was with Jesus, Francisco has nothing to fear. He is not even concerned over his personal safety as I witnessed in his trip to Brazil in 2014 during the World Youth Conference in Rio and when I visited him in Rome in April of 2014.

Finally we have discovered the importance of symbology in our lives. With what symbol or image would Frei Betto describe this historic visit of Pope Francisco to Cuba and the United States?

I would say that this trip to Cuba is similar to the meeting Jesus had with the masses to share and give out bread and fishes, his visit to the US will be similar to the entrance of Jesus to the temple to beat the merchants of faith.

*Frei Betto (fr. Carlos Alberto Libanio Christo op) is a Brazilian Dominican friar. He is a theologist, journalist, teacher and novelist. He knows the Cuban Revolution well and has favored Latin American unity with activities of solidarity and mutual exchange between the Latin American peoples. During the eighties he began to advise some governments of the socialist countries such as Cuba, the former Czechoslovakia, China, the former Soviet Union, Nicaragua and Poland about relations between the Catholic Church and the State. In Brazil he survived two illegal arrests and torture during the military dictatorship.

Advisor in several ecclesiastical spaces that include the CEBs, el Movimiento de Fé e Politica (Movement of Faith and Politics) and the Pastoral Operária.

It is precisely there, immersed in the periphery of Saint Peter, in the industrial cut off of São Bernardo do Campo from Frei Betto accompanied the rise of new political leaders from the union movement in a process that crystallized first as the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) and the Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) led by the emblematic Luiz Inácio da Silva (Lula). Frei Betto was part of the first government as advisor to the presidency and executive and advisor to the Program “FOME ZERO (Hunger zero) the most important social program of the first period of Lula in power. He later resigned because he did not share the options with members of the executive power.

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