News by email Donate

Suggestions

Top Stories

Most Read

Popular Videos

4d646ed540def9147a7f4366d3387422_article_image.jpg
World News

Cuban government will review property removal from church

by Hannah Tooley

Officials took property from Maranatha First Baptist Church, in Holguin, in October 2014.

The church, in the east of the country, was told in May that its property in the city was being removed under new government powers granted by authorities at the start of the year.

The church has owned it since 1947.

There has been public support for the church since the news broke and in July government authorities said they would look into the decision.

Revd Amado Ramirez from the church is calling on Christians around the world to continue supporting them. He said: "We ask all of you to continue to support us just as you have been in this just cause.

"We hope in the Lord that after this whole process of dialogue with the authorities in the municipality and province of Holguin, the documentation we have submitted and the contacts our President [of the Eastern Baptist Convention] has made with the maximum authorities, that we will have a positive answer and that there will be no confiscation and at the same time we will receive official permission to build the new church building that we so desire."

Cuba has a policy of registering religious groups and CSW has reported that a number of registered and unregistered religious groups have been threatened with the confiscation of their property too.

Religious groups must be approved by the government before operating in the community.

CSW says that Legal Decree 322 effectively grants powers to government officials to remove property for zoning restrictions.

It can also allow changes to the status of the churches to rent paying tenants.

It is thought that Maranatha First Baptist Church is the only registered church to speak publically about their property confiscation.

Revd Yiorvis Bravo leads an unregistered church in the city of Camaguey, CSW says that he continues to fight the removal of his building that is used as a church, as his family home as a home for his church network.

CSW testified earlier in the month at a hearing in the US Congress on Challenges to Religious Freedom in the Americas and discussed on-going religious freedom violations in Cuba.

CSW Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, said, "While many hoped that the Pope's visit to Cuba this past weekend would be accompanied by increased protections for freedom of religion or belief, the Cuban authorities do not seem interested in real improvement in this area.

"Human rights activists who had been invited to attend a Mass held by the Pope were forcibly prevented by the security forces from doing so and we continue to receive appeals from church leaders like Reverend Ramirez and Reverend Bravo for support in their on-going struggle to defend their rights and retain church property.

"We continue to call on the Cuban government to make genuine and fundamental reforms to its system that will enshrine freedom of religion or belief in law and also urge the European Union and the United States to insist on concrete human rights improvements as they negotiate new political and economic relationships with the Castro government."

A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference

In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.

Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.

For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.

Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.

Support Us
Continue the conversation on our Facebook page

Related Articles

Sign up to our newsletter to stay informed with news from a Christian perspective.

News by email

Connect

Donate

Donate